Reports and Proceedings— Geological Societij of London. 137 



2. " The Depth and Succession of the Bovey Deposits." By Alfred 

 John Jukes-Browne, B.A., F.G.S. 



The total thickness of the Tei'tiary Beds in the Bovey Basin has 

 never j-et been ascertained, because no boring has yet reached the 

 bottom of the basin in which they lie ; and no one has yet attempted 

 to make out a strati graphical succession from the sections exposed in 

 the numerous clay-pits. 



Some years ago, however, Messrs. Candy & Co., of the Heathfield 

 Potteries, put down a boring wliich reached a depth of 526 feet from 

 the surface. Having obtained some particulars concerning the beds 

 traversed by this boring, the author is able to discuss the succession 

 of the Bovey deposits, so far as they have been explored. The 

 following is a generalized description of the strata seen in the Heath- 

 field pit, and penetrated by tlie boring from the bottom of that 

 excavation : — 



Thickness in feet. 

 Superficial deposits ...... about 20 



Beds of clay and sand, with occasional beds of lignite . . 250 



Beds of lignite and clay, with one of sand .... 36 



Beds of lignite, with thin layers of clay ..... 220 § 



5261 



Tlic author confirms the conclusion arrived at by Pengelly in 1861, 

 with regard to tlic relative age of the beds exposed in the ' old coal- 

 pit ' south-east of Bovey Tracey and those proved in a boring to the 

 east of it. From all the data mentioned, and assuming the actual base 

 of the Tertiary deposits to be not more than 30 feet below the bottom 

 of the Heathfield boring, he estimates the total thickness of the 

 'Eocene' beds to be about 613 feet. 



The Bovey Basin itself is regarded as a tectonic basin or post- 

 Eocene pericline, and not as a lake-basin; although, during the 

 deposition of the higher part of the series, it may have formed part of 

 a large lacustrine or lagoon area, extending over the greater part 

 of East Devon. 



The author dissents from Heer's view of the manner in which the 

 lignites were formed, discusses tlie identification of some of the plants, 

 and concludes that the lignites which form the mass of the lower beds 

 represent the growth and decay of successive swamp-forests, similar 

 to that of the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia at the present day. 



Assuming that these lower beds are of Eocene age, and con- 

 temporaneous with the l^ournemouth Beds of the Hampshire Basin, 

 the author points out that nothinj;: has yet been proved with regard to 

 the higher beds, which mav be of Bartonian or even of Oligocene age. 



Z.—Februanj 10, 1909.— Professor W.J. Sollas, LL.D., Sc.D., F.E.S., 

 President, in the Chair. 



The President announced that the Council, at its meeting that 

 afternoon, liad passed the following resolution : — 



" The Council of the Geological Society records its sense of the very great loss 

 which the Society sustains from the death of Mr. W. H. Hudleston, F.R.S. By 

 his distinguished services as President and as Secretary, by the constant interest 

 which he took in the Society's aifairs, and by the distinction of his high scientific 



