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ON NON-MARINE MOLLUSCA FROM AN EARLY NEOLITHIC 

 INTERMENT AT CUXTON, KENT. 



By A. S. Kennaiid, F.Gr.S. 



Read Uth May, 1909. 



In 1907 an early ISTeolithic interment was discovered whilst quarrying 

 for chalk in the large chalk-pit belonging to Messrs. Trechmann, 

 Weeks, «& Co. Through the kindness of Mr. G. E. Dibley, F.G.S., 

 I was informed of this by Mr. J. G. Wilson, the manager of the works, 

 to whom I am greatly indebted for kind help in examining the inter- 

 ment and in obtaining the material. The grave had been made by 

 a slight excavation in the overlying scarp drift. The body had been 

 placed in the excavation and tlien covered with a large quantity of flints, 

 obviously picked from the si;rface of the ground. This layer of flints 

 was from 12 to 18 inches thick. On this a layer of chalk had been 

 spread, and probably, though this is not certain, the surface soil had 

 then been replaced. During the succeeding centuries there had been 

 a certain amount of soil creep from the hill above, so that there was 

 about 3 feet of soil above the chalk layer. On examining the layer 

 of stones I was surprised to find large numbers of shells, which 

 1 carefully collected, and I also took away a quantity of the finer 

 material between the stones for washing. It should be noted that 

 in many cases the interstices between tlie stones were free from earth, 

 and a deposit of carbonate of lime, derived from percolating water, had 

 been deposited on the surfaces of the flint. No less than thirty-one 

 species were obtained, viz. : — 



Limax arborum, 6 examples. Pi/raiiiidicla rotundata, cunnuou. 



Agriolimax agrestis, 8 examples. Helix ncmoralix, 5 examples. 



Avion sp., abundant. Helicigona lapicida, i examples. 



Vitrea 8clnirffi, coramou. H. arbnsturum, 1 example. 



V. cellaria, common. Coehlicopa luhrica, o examples. 



V. crystallvia, common. Clausilia laminata, 5 examples. 



V. n/tidulii, 5 examples. C. bidentata, 5 examples. 



V. ptira, 5 examples. Jaminia uniscorum, common. 



V. radititula, 1 example. /. cylindracea, 4 examples. 



Vallonia pnlvhella, 1 example. Vertigo pygmma, U examples. 



V. exceiitrica, common. V. minulissima, 4 examples. 



V. costala, common. Ccecilianel/a acieiila, common. 



Acinithinula aculeata, 4 examples. Carychium minimum, 14 examples. 



Helicella cartusiana, 12 examples. Pomatias clegam, abundant. 



H. itala, common. Acicitla lineata, 2 examples. 

 JSygromia hispida, 10 examples. 



Several ova of a large species of land mollusca were also found. 



The occurrence of Helicella cartusiana is noteworthy, since it 

 furnishes additional proof of its former abundance in West Kent. It 

 is now known in a fossil state in West Kent, from Otford, Exedown, 

 Greenhithe, Northflect, and Cuxton. 



Vertigo minutissima and Jaminia cylindracea are rarely found in 

 a fossil state, whilst Acicula lineata is extremely rare as a fossil in 



