Revieus — W. Joh)ison's Wimbledon Common. 175 



London Clay, and these sands have frequently been regarded as 

 remnants of the Bagshot Beds. Certainly there often does appear 

 to be a passage of these sands into the clay. On the other hand, 

 it does not appear possible in any section to draw a clear line between 

 these sands and the overlying gravel, so that one feels with 

 Mr. Johnson it is safer to go no farther than to say "rearranged 

 Bagshots ". 



Many an interesting question raised by the charming Beverley or 

 beaver-brook is discussed, and this leads us on to the ancient Bensbury, 

 absurdly called Csesar's Camp, strongly entrenched on the dun from 

 which the followers of Wimbald overlooked the Coombe. 



It does not fall Avithin our province to follow Mr. Johnson through 

 the early mediaeval and modern history of the locality, though the 

 geologist will not rightly comprehend some physical features if he 

 forgets how many a superficial change has been due to Rifle 

 Associations, Golf Clubs, and Conservators. 



In other departments of natural history Wimbledon Common is 

 so rich that a few omissions are not to be wondered at. It might, 

 however, have been mentioned that the hawfinch is a regular resident 

 and that the hedgehog is not uncommon. Mr. Johnson does well 

 to enumerate the exotic trees of the neighbouring gardens, but he 

 should not have forgotten the old cork-tree in Marryat Boad. We read 

 of Captain Marryat and his father, but not of Mrs. Marryat, F.B.H.S., 

 to whom so much of our imported beauty is due. And how would 

 Swinburne, who so loved this beauty, like to have been called 

 " Sir Algernon " ? 



Truly Wimbledon Common should be in the mind of the public and 

 especially of naturalists. Above all, just now, when its health and 

 beauty are being threatened by the sale of lands in Kingston Vale, 

 lands on which farming operations at present serve to intensify the 

 rural charm of the scene, but which we dread to see covered with 

 rows of mean streets, disfiguring the wonderful view and blackening 

 the Common with their smoke. Our public-spirited fathers who lived 

 round this Common had a hard fiight to keep it, and its beauties have 

 since been preserved for the public by a heavy annual expenditure on 

 the part of the neighbouring residents. They it is who have dipped 

 further into their own pockets to save the land to which we have just 

 referred. Never before have they appealed to the public, but now 

 time is running short and there is £19,000 yet to be raised before the 

 end of July. They have done what they can, and now they are 

 asking Londoners and others Avho share the Common with them to 

 come to their help. Further information may be obtained from 

 Mr. Richardson Evans, Secretary to the Extension Committee, The 

 Keir, Wimbledon, and geologists should not be the last to send their 

 subscriptions of whatever size to the Treasurer, Sir Robert Hensley, 

 Glenton House, Putney. 



E. A. Bather. 



