286 Correspondence — E. Hull. 



many too many shells, both species and individuals, for a beach." 

 A curious puzzle, but a beach it nevertheless is. 



The late Sir Joseph Prestwich embodied my Thatcher collection 

 in his table of the " Mollusca of the Kaised Beaches" (Q.J.G.S., 

 vol. xlviii, p. 300). 



Anyone interested in the investigation may be pleased to add 

 three species to Sir J. Prestwich's total of 64,^ viz., Scalaria 

 communis, from the Thatcher, on the authority of Mr. D. Pidgeon, 

 and Pecten maximus and Venerupis, sp., from the Hope's Nose beach, 

 on the authority of the late Mr. Godwin-Austen.- Mr. Godwin- 

 Austen described the Venerupis as decussata, but as that is not 

 a British shell it was probably V. iriis. 



I hope to publish Mr. Pidgeon's criticisms and to discuss them in 

 the transactions of a provincial society. He was one of the acutest 

 of observers, and his detection of the perfect preservation of the 

 sculpture of the Eaised Beach shells was one of the most important 

 observations ever recorded on the subject, and one by no means easy 

 to explain. A. E. Hunt. 



ToKauAY, 3Iaii 8, 1902. 



SUB-OCEANIC RIVER VALLEYS. 



Sir, — To those who have given some attention to the above 

 subject the following statement may prove interesting. 



In the recent work, " The Scenery of England," by Lord Avebury , 

 F.E.S., I had the gratification on turning over its pages to find 

 sympathetic reference to my investigations into the phenomena 

 presented by the submerged river valleys of the British Islands and 

 Western Europe, but coupled with a caution "that perhaps I had 

 carried the argument further than the facts entirely warranted." 



In thanking Lord Avebury for his kindness in presenting me 

 with a copy of his book, I referred to this caution, which I regarded 

 as quite natural, and added that it would give me much pleasure to 

 afford his Lordship an opportunity of examining the Admiralty 

 Charts themselves, in order that he might judge for himself whether 

 I was justified in my conclusions as to the position and depth below 

 the surface of the ocean to which these " drowned river valleys " 

 descend. 



Accordingly a day was kindly arranged for the examination of 

 the Charts, which Lord Avebury examined with the greatest and 

 most intelligent care, and at the end he expressed his gratification 

 at the result. 



His Lordship is now, I understand, preparing a new edition of 

 " The Scenery of England," and a few days since I had the pleasure 

 •of receiving from him a letter in which he says : "After looking at 

 your maps I am omitting the sentence in p. 106 in which I express 

 a cautious doubt" in regard to your conclusions. This candid 

 acceptance of niy views may, perhaps, have some weight with those 

 geologists who have opposed my views, but who have not taken 



1 Q.J.G.S., vol. xlviii, p. 301, Prestwich writes 64 species, but the list shows only 63. 



- Trans. Geol. Soc, vol. vi, p. 442. 



