124 R. A. Smith — High-level Deposits on the Chalk. 



I 

 surmise that the Ti 2 is responsible for the pleochroism, but a 



titaniferous cassiterite described in the Mineralogical Magazine for 



1911 ("Notes on Cassiterite in the Malay Peninsula," pp. 188-20), 



showed the brown pleochroism noted above. On the other hand, this 



cassiterite contained so high a percentage of iron that it could be 



lifted by an electromagnet; and it is possible that the iron masked 



any pleochroic effect that the Ti 2 might produce were no iron 



present. 



VI. — Note on the High-level Deposits on the Chalk at Little 



Heath, near Berkhamsted. 1 



By Reginald A. Smith, F.S.A., British Museum. 



AT a meeting of the Geological Society on January 22 a section at 

 Little Heath, near Be'rkhanisted, was described J and discussed ; 

 but both in the papers and in the discussion attention was focussed 

 on the lower part of the section, and the gravel, which is separated 

 by about 6 inches of bull-head from the Chalk, was assigned to 

 the Pliocene and correlated with the Westleton Beds of Prestwich. 

 But the upper beds have an interest of their own, especially for 

 the archseologist who is acquainted with the work of the late 

 Mr. Worthington Smith ; and it seems worth while to point out 

 some striking resemblances to deposits in a line running north-east 

 of the site in question. The Little Heath strata referred to are : — 



6. Surface-soil with bleached flint-pebbles from the 



Reading Beds .... about 2 feet thick. 



5. Pebbly clay and other glacial deposits, varying 



from 2-20 ,, 



4. Stratified loamy sand ..... 5-6 ,, ,, 



A sharp break was noticed between the loamy sands and the 

 underlying gravels, and analogy justifies the treatment of Nos. 4-6 

 as a series quite distinct from the Pliocene gravel below. The 

 length of the interval may perhaps be determined by archaeo- 

 logical data. 



No. 4 is a stratified deposit of dark reddish-brown mottled 

 loamy sand, the entire deposit being banded with very fine lines 

 or partings of the grey clay. An abundance of sun - cracks 

 throughout the stratum suggest genial climatic conditions, and 

 indicate that each separate layer became exposed to the air after 

 deposition. 



Sun-cracks in brick-earth at Caddington, 7 miles distant, were 

 noticed many years ago and illustrated in Man, the Primeval Savage, 

 p. 80, fig. 49, the interstices being filled with later deposits of the 

 same material, in which several floors or occupation-levels were 

 noticed and examined with interesting results. Not only were 

 flint implements of definite types and excellent workmanship 

 collected in situ, but flakes capable of being fitted together again 

 were recovered in quantities, proving that there had been no 

 disturbance of the various surfaces when brick - earth was laid 

 down from time to time. Above the brick - earth, which often 



1 See Reports and Proceedings, Geological Society of London, January 22, in 

 this number of the Geol. Mag., pp. 138-41 (issued January 31, 1919). 



