190 Correspondence — Mr. F. G, H. Price. 



number of the Geol. Mag., will not succeed in converting Mr. Judd 

 to their views, as they have omitted to notice one point, if not the 

 point, whicli prevents him from giving any recognition to that agency. 



On p. 15 he states that only by those who ignore altogether i\\Q 

 action of subterranean forces " the necessity is felt of assuming that 

 rivers of ice possess a power, which is on all hands admitted does not 

 belong to rivers of water (the italics are Mr. Judd's) — that of exca- 

 vating great basin-shaped depressions in their course." But, surely, 

 rivers of water do often scoop out basin-shaped depressions. x\s a 

 good example may be mentioned the Atbara, so well described by 

 Sir Samuel Baker in " The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia," which, 

 except in the rainy season, is simply a dry bed, with here and there, 

 in its course, pools of considerable size abounding in fish, crocodiles, 

 and hippopotami. So that we have only to suppose a river of ice 

 endowed with similar excavating power, and its capability of pro- 

 ducing lakes in its course, and the probability that it will do so, are 

 evident. T. Y. Holmes, 



WiGTON, Cumberland, H.M. Geol. Survey Eng. and Wales. 



March lOth,. 1876. 



NOTE ON AN ANNELID BED IN THE GAULT OF KENT. 



Sir, — I have been much interested in reading the note on the 

 above subject by Prof. Rupert Jones in the March Number of the 

 Geological Magazine. I take this opportunity of stating that I am 

 well acquainted with the narrow hard band he mentions, as occurring 

 in the Lower Gault of Folkestone, which is probably similar, if not 

 identical, with that found at Westwell Leacon, near Charing. 



Although I did not actually note the occurrence of this hard band 

 as bored by Annelids, still, if my paper on the Gault of Folkestone 

 (Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, 1874, vol. xxx. p. 347) be referred to, it 

 Avill there be seen that in describing Bed III. I have mentioned the 

 occurrence of tabular masses of ironstone, as being met with in this 

 bed, being of the same light fawn colour as the clay. It might almost 

 be said to be red externally, especially when slightly weathered. Upon 

 breaking open a fragment of this hard seam, it was seen to be com- 

 pletely riddled with Annelid borings, which were filled up with blue 

 clay. Finding that these masses were far heavier than the clay 

 from any of the beds, I asked Mr. Hudleston to give me an 

 analysis of it — the result being, it was found to contain as much as 

 30-40 of metallic iron. 



Large tabular slabs of this seam may be found lying on the beach 

 in Eastwear Bay, being washed out of Bed III. I have a fragment 

 in my cabinet which is one inch in thickness, but I do not think the 

 seam is ever found thicker than 1^ inches at Folkestone. Yet, as 

 Prof. Eupert Jones has met with this seam near Charing, about two 

 inches in thickness, it is an additional evidence of the Gault thicken- 

 ing out gradually towards the north-west, as at Burham the Gault 

 has a total thickness of about 200 feet. 



With regard to the Foraminifera, I am aware that they are plentiful 

 in the Gault, particularly in the lower beds ; but as I had never 



