Geology of CamherwelL 43 



sirable however to separate tlie English beds from the Lower Green- 

 sand, and to distinguish them as Aptian. The author, in conclusion, 

 considers it probable that the pebbles of palaeozoic and metamorphic 

 rocks have been derived from the rocks which underlie the Chalk to 

 the east, and which probably formed land during the Neocomian 

 period. He next considers the origin of the phosphatic matter. We 

 are glad he rejects the absurd theory that the waters were charged 

 with phosphoric acid by the denudation of apatite, and accepts the 

 view that the phosphoric acid was furnished by the decomposition of 

 animal matter. Finally, he gives an account of what he conceives 

 to have been the physical features of this area during the deposition 

 of the strata in question, and also of the succession of events which 

 immediately preceded their deposition. The author, in acknowledging 

 the sources from whence his information has been derived, states that 

 he did not see Mr. Meyer's papers on this subject until he had 

 arrived at the same conclusions independently. Although we cannot 

 quite agree with Mr. Teall in a few minor points, yet we have much 

 pleasure in recommending this interesting essay to the notice of 

 the readers of this Magazine. 



I F. W. 



IV. — The Geology or C amber well.^ 



IN one of the chapters of the " History of Camber well," recently 

 published, Mr. A. Bott, F.G.S., has given an interesting account 

 of the geological formations which have been observed within the 

 parish. Previous notices of the geology have appeared by Mr. 

 Allport,^ Mr. Whitaker,^ and other authors, all of which are referred 

 to by Mr. Bott, v/hose contribution comprises not only detailed de- 

 scriptions of the various sections and lists of the fossils collected 

 within the district, but also some general inferences as to the con- 

 ditions under which the strata were formed. The knowledge of the 

 geological structure of this part of the London Basin has been much 

 increased by the careful observation of the excavations made for the 

 construction of the main line and effra branch of the Southern High 

 Level Sewer. The formations noticed belong to the Quaternary 

 and Eocene periods : — Post-Tertiary or Quaternary — beds of j)eat, 

 brick-earth, sand, and gravel. Eocene — London-clay, Oldhaven 

 beds, Woolwich beds, Thanet beds. 



The sections exposed during the progress of the works for the 

 sewer, as well as some others in the parish, are successively noticed, 

 together with their lithological character. The Woolwich beds appear 

 to be the best developed, and are interesting as presenting a differ- 

 ence in their mineral and fossil characters (chiefly the abundance of 

 Paludina) to the equivalent strata at Lewisham, Charlton, etc. ; still, 

 however, indicating estuarine conditions, from the alternations of 

 marine, fluvio-marine, and fresh-water forms of life. The fossils, 



^ The Parish, of Camberwell, its History and Antiquities, by "W. H. Blanch. 

 London, 1875. Greology, pp. 9-27. 



2 Collections Illustrative of the Geology of Camberwell. 

 ^ Geology of London Basin, Mem. Geol. Sury. 



