Correspondence—Mr. H, Keeping. 429 
many hundreds of times, just in the same position that Mr. S. Wood, 
Mr. Edwards, Dr. Wright,.and the Marchioness of Hastings had seen 
it, and I always believed it to be nothing more than a slipped mass, 
which I subsequently obtained complete proof that it was. 
The patch in question when described by Mr. 8. Wood was only 
to be found close to the beach, just above high-water mark and only 
extending some 20 yards in length and 9 inches in thickness. It 
was a sandy layer rich in fossils, and naturally it soon became all 
worked out, and the greater part of it carried away by collectors. 
It was not until after this that I considered it worth my while to 
seek permission for opening a pit at the place. This having been 
obtained, I commenced the work, with some pecuniary assistance 
from the Marchioness of Hastings, and on the third day I succeeded 
in finding the bed, from which the fossils had come, in situ, just in 
the sequence as I had always expected to find it, namely, close under 
the gravel, with all the Lower Headon Freshwater beds below it, 
showing clearly that all the previous authors were wrong in putting 
these freshwater beds above it. 
The reason why I was unable to convince the geologists named 
by Prof. Judd is simply this, that although I had stated the opinion 
I had always held to some of them, yet I had not, at that time, had 
any means of corroborating my view, inasmuch as | had not then 
seen the bed in its true position ; and it was only by constantly visit- 
ing the locality and after much close observation, that I was able to 
find the proper spot to dig down upon it; but this I eventually did, 
and ask no credit for it. 
I cannot help thinking that Prof. Judd’s remarks were quite un- 
called for, and I much regret that I was not there to reply, but I did 
not think it worth while to go to London for the reading of the 
paper, expecting that on account of the press of papers at the last 
meeting of the Session there would be no discussion upon it. 
The Professor further stated that “the coast had receded greatly 
at this point.” This statement I strenuously deny; and I will 
undertake to find the very excavation made there by myself more 
than twenty-seven years ago, which would clearly prove that the 
coast had not receded since that time. In fact, it is protected by the 
accumulation of the beach which terminates in the spit on which 
Hurst Castle stands. 
J think it a pity that so much wordy discussion should be raised 
on a point which could easily be settled on the ground. I have 
already offered to meet Prof. Judd at Colwell Bay and Headon Hill, 
and I now again offer to meet him at the Hordwell Cliffs; and if 
he is as good a geologist as I give him credit for being, I will under- 
take to convince him of the true position of the bed in question 
in less than twenty minutes. 
The bed in dispute I wish to be distinctly understood to maintain 
is the marine Middle Headon of the Geological Survey, and equivalent 
to the Middle Headon of Colwell Bay, Headon Hill, White Cliff 
Bay, and Brockenhurst in the New Forest. H. Krerine. 
Woopwarpian Museum, CAMBRIDGE, 
