PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



393 



Fathom as iieie lepresented," but the aitist had not quite uuderstood the 

 structure of the dene-holes (as now named) ; his plans are all right, but the 

 shafts are drawn above ground like factory chimneys. The Lincolnshire map 

 indicates the former appearance and extent of the Fens and the Wash, and 

 with it is 'A Perpetual Tide Table for Foss-Dyke and Cross-Keys Washes in 

 the county, showing from the Moon's Age the exact time of Full Sea of^ ye 

 beginning and ending of the Wash, or when Travellers may safely pass over.' 



The Northamptonshire plate shows a pear-shaped mass of Serpulse labelled 

 ■ A Vertebra or single Joint of the Back-Bone of a large fish. 'Tis two inches 

 and a half in length, and near as much in breadth. Digged up at Peakirk 

 almost 4 foot deep in the Earth.' A well-known Oolitic coral is ' Astroites, or 

 Star Stone, with round radiated holes in its surface found at Cartenhall ' ; two 

 Kimmeridge Clay Ammonites are 'A Five wreath'd double straited {sic) 

 Ammonia found in Oxenden ' and ' The Studded Aimnonites Modiolaris found 

 near Towcester.' Another is ' A Four wreath'd Ammonites found at Maraton 

 Trussel.' 'Lead Mines and Coal Pitts' are indicated on the Northumberland 

 map. On that of Shropshire it is amusing to read that ' For want of antiquities, 

 <L-c., in the cnunty we have inserted some out of ye Neighbouring County of 

 Staffordshire.' Five ' Form'd Stones partly Cylindrical' are clearly encrinite- 

 stems, and fom- organ-pipe and similar corals are labelled ' Minerall Coral,' 

 ' Museus Pyreidatus found near Stansop,' ' Honey Comb Stone,' and 'A Form'd 

 Stone like a Stool of Eeeds ' respectively. For the same reason the Worcester 

 map is decorated by specimens alleged to have been found in Staffordshire, 

 though in this case minerals as well as fossils are given. In addition to ' Lead 

 Mines and Coal Pitts.' ' Allom Works ' are indicated on the ' North Eiding 

 of York Shire ' map, the last referring to a one-time flourishing industry in 

 th? Whitby iirea. On the East Riding of the same county ' Sunk Island ' is 

 shown as an island in the middle of the Humber — an area now joined to the 

 mainland — as a result of which one-time seaport towns are now far inland ; 

 similarly, on the sea-coast, towns are shown which have since been entirely 

 wasned away by the sea. 



On the South Wales map a frond of NcnroptPiis and a fragment of SigiJ- 

 laria are given as 'Mock Plants out of a Cole Pit near Neath in Glamorgan- 

 shire,' and presumably examples of 



' The sport of Nature, aided by blind chance. 

 Rudely to mock the works of toiling man.' 



I have mentioned only a few contents of this old atlas, but I trust it has 

 been demonstrated that, two centuries ago, information now of great value, 

 both geographically and geologically, was being placed upon these maps. Moll's 

 work is only one of scores which were issued, some earlier, some later. What 

 I wish to emphasise is the necessity for preserving these maps and atlases 

 before it is too late. Each county society should collect, store ; and eventually 

 catalogue and describe the maps relating to its area. 



During the past few weeks three different booksellers have sent me books 

 wrapped up in county maps, or, more annoying still, parts of maps. In one 

 case I asked if any others were available similar to those used for packing. 

 1 secured those I required, but at a price which clearly indicated that the 

 ' packing ' was about as valuable as the books ! 



I am sorry to say that the systematic compilation of lists of county maps 

 has only as yet been accomplished for a very few areas, and we thus have many 

 more ' imperfections in the geological record ' than are really necessary. A 

 few have been published, and as they contain a fair proportion taken from 

 atlases which contain charts of all the counties, a careful examination of these — 

 or the latest one issued — -will give a good basis for a catalogue, to whidi the 

 locally-published archasological, geological, and topographical maps should be 

 added. Mr. T. Chubb, of the Map Room, British Museum, would, I feel sure, 

 give every assistance to anyone seriously taking the matter up. 



Sir George Fordham appears to have led the way, his admirable papers on 

 Hertfordshire map.'; being published by the Hertfordshire Natural History 

 Society and Field Club (1901-1914) ; he followed with ' Cambridgeshire Maps ' 

 (' Communications Cambridge Antiquarian Society,' 1905-1908). 



