286 Correspondence — W. T. Ord. 



perusal of our recent paper provides the most convincing reply; 

 and since our metliod of attacking the problem differs so widely from 

 that adopted by Mr. Lamplugh, we feel that a controversy would be 

 fruitless. 



F. L. KiTCHIN. 



J. Pringle. 

 London. 



Ma7j 12, 1920. 



Sir, — Although the subject of the Bournemouth Chines is 

 chiefly of local interest, as Mr. Bury in his paper in the February 

 number has referred several times to my views, may I be permitted 

 a few words in reply ? 



Mr. Bury's paper chiefly deals with the seaward aspect of the 

 chines, and curiously he omits mention of the one determining feature 

 which is common to all the chines, and more than anything else 

 is responsible for their form, depth, contour of sides, and angle of 

 recession in cliff-face. This is the position, thickness, and number 

 of the clay-beds which occur in the friable sandy strata from which 

 the chines have been carved by the action of land w^ater. In thirty 

 years residence in the town I have more and more been struck 

 by this, and led to attribute less and less to sea action at the cliff-face. 



If any visitor will examine the shorter and lesser chines, such 

 as Honeycombe Chine, east of Boscombe pier — which is not 

 mentioned by Mr. Bury — also Middle Chine, Little Durley Chine, 

 and Canford Cliff Chine, they will readily admit the influence of 

 this factor. That the larger chines — Branksome, Bourne Valley, 

 and the mouth of the Bourne, and probably Boscombe Chine — are 

 remains of the old Solent River drainage system cannot be doubted. 

 But all have been deejDened and widened since the sea invaded 

 Bournemouth Bay, by the action of land streams causing constant 

 washing out of sand and slipping of clay-beds as they were un- 

 covered. 



I have never thought it necessary to invite the aid of glaciation or 

 a hypothetical coombe-rock to account for what is otherwise 

 easily explained. At the close of the Glacial period and the beginning 

 of Neolithic times, floods from the melting of ice-sheets further 

 north first eroded the surface and then deposited the sheet of plateau 

 gravel which we find covering the strata around Bournemouth 

 to-day. This occurred when the Bourne Valley was half its present 

 depth. The plateau gravel is found in places down what Mr. Bury 

 considers the old valley level in Branksome and Alum Chines. The 

 present chine level has been formed since the close of the Glacial 

 period. The Solent River system had been destroyed long before 

 this, almost immediately on the sea breaking through the range of 

 chalk hills which soundings show must have occurred not far east 

 of Ballard Down, the jDeriod being either during or just before the 

 raised beaches were formed. 



