Laniphis^h : Estiiarine Shells at Sand-le-Mere. ii 



From the present position of the shore-Hne in relation to the 

 hollow, it might seem at first sight certain that the salt-water 

 of the estuarine stage flowed in at its eastward end from the 

 open sea. Yet it is more probable that the inflow was from 

 the opposite direction from the Humber, by way of the low 

 gap at Keyingham. The fauna is essentially that of the Humber 

 muds, and the sediments are such as we should expect to find 

 in a creek of the Humber ; nor do I think that the requisite 

 conditions could have been produced by a direct inroad of the 

 open sea, which would necessarily have led to a sharp tidal 

 scour, and the formation of shifting sand-bars, as at the mouths 

 of Barmston Drain and Earl's Dike, farther north in Holderness. 

 I surmise, therefore, that the estuarine beds of Sand-le-Mere 

 were accumulated when the hollow was a blind inlet of the 

 Humber, which has now been decapitated by the recession of 

 the coast-line. 



However, my chief aim in writing is not to elaborate the 

 present insufficient data, but to call attention to the need for 

 a closer investigation of the locality. 



We have previously had occasion to refer to the excellent achievements 

 of Mr. Frank M. Chapman, of the American Museum of Natural History ; 

 his work amongst the flamingoes particularly calling for favourable com- 

 ment. In Camps and Cruises of an Ornithologist (Hodder and Stoughton, 

 432 pp. 12/- net), Mr. Chapman gives us a volume of altogether unusual 

 merit, one that is far, far above the average of ' bird ' books, which are 

 teeming like water — very much like water, from the various publishing 

 houses now-a-days. It is difficult to decide which to admire most, the 

 charming and original accounts of his ornithological researches, or the 

 250 remarkable photographs of bird life, most of which might almost 

 have been ' sat ' for in a studio. During the past seven years the author has 

 been preparing ' cases ' or ' Habitat groups ' illustrating bird life, each 

 ' containing from 60 to 160 square feet 1 ' Partly in connection with these 

 he has visited Florida, Bahama, California, Western Canada and various 

 other places — each a veritable ornithologist's paradise. In his rambles 

 he visited the breeding places of the Pelican, Flamingo, Golden Eagle, 

 Blue Heron, Egret, Water Turkey, as well as the Booby, Man-o'-War 

 Bird and others, not perhaps quite so well known to English ornithologists. 

 In turning over the leaves, and after glancing at views of canons, morasses 

 and cliffs, one suddenly comes upon a photograph of a homely village, 

 with its church nestling' among the trees ; as great a contrast between the 

 previous views as well can be. It is entitled ' Selborne from the Hanger,' 

 and is at the commencement of a very interesting series of ' Impressions 

 of English Bird-life,' in which we find the author states : — ' I confess that 

 my desire to see and hear the Nightingale, Skylark, Blackbird, Redbreast 

 and other characteristic English species, in their haunts, has been more 

 intense than that which has led me to the distant homes of tropical birds.' 

 He visited the chief haunts of wild bird life in this country in a characteristi- 

 cally thorough manner, and during his brief stay saw much more of British 

 ornithology than has many an English ornithologist. Amongst his many 

 illustrations we notice one entitled ' Bird-egging on Bempton Cliffs ; about 

 130,000 JNIurres' eggs are gathered here yearly.' 



1910 Jan. I. 



