386 H. Woodward — On the Walthamstoiv Forest. 



Section No. 1 at South-East corner of Eastern Reservoir : — 



No. 1. Surface soil 12 inches. 



,, 2. Clayey loam 18 „ 



„ 3. "White shell-marl 10 „ 



„ 4. "White-coated sub-angular gravel, encrusted with 



lime from superimposed shell-marl 18 „ 



„ 5. Eounded and sub-angular gravel, stained "with 

 oxide of iron (actual depth not ascertained). 



This gravel (No. 5), which forms the floor of the Eeservoir, is of 

 very considerable thickness. At one spot, where pumping for 

 "puddling" had been going on, a hole, more than 10 feet in depth 

 from the surface of the gravel-bed, still showed the same gravel 

 with abundance of water. 



Section No. 2 at South-west corner of Western Eeservoir : — 



No. 1. Vegetable Mould 12 inches. 



„ 2. Stiff brown Clay 24 „ 



„ 3. Shell-marl and Marly Clay 12 to 36 „ 



„ 4. Stiff dark clay with wood 18 „ 



,, 5. Peat lying on 24 „ 



,, 6. Thin band of black gravel stained by overlying 



peat 3 ,, 



„ 7. Clean red gravel (corresponding with Bed 5 of Section No. 1, 

 and forming the floor of the Eeservoir). 



Section No. 3 in the Eastern Eeservoir, and near the Embankment 

 between Eastern and Western Eeservoirs : — 



No. 1. Surface-soil 18 inches. 



„ 2. Stiff Clayey Loam 18 „ 



,, 3. Very compact black Peat 3 feet. 



„ 4. Shell-marl 12 inches. 



„ 5. White-coated sub-angular Gravel 12 „ 



„ 6. Clean red Gravel forming floor of Eeservoir, equivalent to bed 

 5 of section No. 1 (depth not ascertained). 



The beds above the shell-marl (and, in some parts of the area, 

 those also below it) , contain abundant remains of forest vegetation. 

 Large areas of the upper loamy and peaty beds, where exposed in 

 the course of the works by the removal of the more superficial 

 layers, exhibiting the ancient remains of trees with their spreading 

 roots still in situ, but in most instances converted into lignite and 

 coated with bog-iron-ore. Hazel nuts are abundant, and we were 

 able to detect evidence of the Oak and the Alder, but there are no 

 doubt several other trees which may be determined by their wood 

 upon further examination under the microscope. 



The peat, especially near the centre of the works (section No. 3), 

 attains a thickness of more than three feet, and is exceedingly stiff 

 and compact when first cut through, but from exposure it rapidly 

 dries and cracks vertically into irregular prismatic masses, which 

 may be readily detached. 



The Shell-bed, on the Eastern and Northern sides of the area 

 exposed, exhibited many cases of oblique lamination, indicative of 

 currents and a winding rivercourse. Most of the bivalve shells 

 have their valves united, and the Uniones reposing in their natural 

 position as in life, whilst the operculum remains in the aperture of 

 many of the PaludinidcB. 



