Notes on the Drift Deposits. 409 



It is disposed very irregularly. In [some] places the Clialk rises 

 to the highest levels. la others the sands and gravel form the 

 hill-tops. 



Sept. 14, 1851. — [Visit to Bushey, near Watford, and Aldenham.] 

 Gravel caps the whole of this (three-quarters of a mile north-east 

 of the Blackbirds Farm) and the adjacent hills. A fine section of 

 it is shown by the side of the lane half-way between Newlands 

 and Batlers Green. I could find no trace on this hill of the 

 Puddingstone pit formerly worked — or rather, it seems, now worked 

 out ; only the overlying gravel now remains. 



1855. — Victoria Docks : — 



Feet. 

 Soil ... ... ... 1 



Stiff bluish-grey clay 7 



Peat with trees and fresh-water shells ... ... ... 11 



Black clay passing- into white ... ... ... [about 2] 



Gravel (washed) 

 A large flat bone (? whale), 2 feet by 2 feet, was found at a 

 depth of 16 feet in the peat. A grindstone was also found. A lead 

 shield was found at a depth of about 16 feet. Antlers were also 

 found at about the same depth. Urns with [human] bones were 

 also found (apparently British) on the peat. Some of the bones 

 were coated with phosphate of iron. 



[See also Whitaker, " Geology of London," vol. i, p. 461 ; vol. ii, p. 284.] 



September, 1847. — Section of Mr. Meeson's pit, Grays Thurrock : — 



Feet. 

 a. Surface soil ) j^ 2 to 20 



h. Yellow sands with irregular seams of gravel ... ... J 



c. Grey and yellow loam with a few pebbles ; contains some 



mammalian remains and a few ZTwJos, etc. ... ... 3 to 6 



d. Subangular iiint-gravel to 1 



e. Fine yellow sand with numerous bones and fresh-water shells, 



some masses of wood, and blocks of stone ... ... 2 to 6 



/. Roughly laminated yellow clay with a few shells and some 



lignite and seams of sharp white drift sand with shells... 6 to 8 

 g. Finely laminated grey clay with, in places, numerous 



impressions and traces of plants, and shells mostly in 



fragments ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 5 to 6 



h. Ash-coloured and ochreous gravel and loam with numerous 



shells _ 2 to 3 



i. Laminated ash-coloured and yellow loams with Unio and 



other shells ... 2 to 4 



j. Coarse ferruginous subangular flint-gravel mth white and 



black veins .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 to 4 



Soft yellow Chalk, surface irregular 



All the beds are very irregular, and while h to i thin out towards 

 the Thames, / expands to a thickness of 10 to 12 feet. The shells 

 are very numerous, including the Cijrena \_Gorhicula'\ fiaminalis. 

 In e boulders of Tertiary sandstone [greywethersj are occasionally 

 found. One was a broken concretionary mass with the edges 

 rounded off. It was in the midst of brittle and perfect shells, and 

 was about 1^ feet in largest diameter. 



[This appears to contain fuller particulars of the strata than elsewhere published. 

 See references by B. B. Woodward, Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol. xi, p. 364.] 



