X INTRODUCTION. 



there also, marks the site of a submerged forest,* large 

 trunks of trees are plainly visible, and these, now the 

 home of the boring Pholas and the wary Crustacean, are 

 searched as busily for food by the Sea-pie, the Dunlin, 

 and the Kinged-Plover, as in their normal state by the 

 Titmice, the tiny Gold-Crest (Regulus cristatus), or the 

 Creeper (Gerthia familiaris). Again, about two miles 

 from Hunstanton, near to Holme Point, a deep channel, 

 traversing the beach, alternately fills and empties a 

 wide basin between the sand-hills, which, at low water, 

 presents at one end a tract of level sands, at the other 

 a swampy marsh, intersected with a number of little 

 streams, and covered with a profusion of coarse grass, 

 samphire, and other marine plants. Here in summer 

 the fishing Terns resort, and the smaller waders find 

 a daily renewed banquet, whether scattered, almost 

 invisible to the eye amongst the rank herbage, or 

 tripping over the flats with their quick nervous actions, 

 stopping abruptly now and again to secure their prey. 



* This submerged Forest, being post-glacial, must not be 

 confounded with the "Forest bed," rich in Elephantine and Cervine 

 remains, which is met with on other portions of our coast ; since 

 in the formation above referred to, as Mr. Gunn shows in his 

 " Geology of Norfolk," not only the Mammalia of the " Forest bed" 

 have disappeared, but also of the post-glacial Hoxne and valley 

 formations. "One very decided change in the fauna," he states, 

 "is observable, namely, the disappearance of the Elephas primi- 

 genius, Rhinocerus tichorinus, the Hippopotamus major, and the 

 Eeindeer; and the appearance of the remains of man and his 

 works, and of animals still living on the surface of the earth, 

 as the Horse, Ox, Eed-Deer, "Wild-Boar, Wolf, Badger, and others. 

 # * * At the Holme and Thornham scalphs, near Hunstanton, 

 no human bones have been discovered, but a polished Celt, of the 

 stone period, was found in the Holme scalph by the Eev. George 

 Mundford, Eector of East "Winch, and is now in the Norwich 

 Museum." * * * "The trees are the ordinary trees of the 

 neighbourhood, the stools are in situ, of great size, and the wood 

 turned black, but so sound as to be used for carpenters' work." 



