324 ME. J. W. STATHEE OX SHELLY CLAY [Sept. 1912^ 



17. Shelly Clay D-rebged from the Doggee Bank. 

 By John" Walkee Stathee, F.G.S. (Eead June 5th, 1912.) 



Some little time ago my attention was drawn to some notes ^ in the 



* Essex !N'atiiralist ' on the subject of ' moorlog,' a tough compact 

 peaty deposit, which is dredged from various parts of the southern 

 portion of the Korth Sea, but principally from the Dogger Bank. 



It occurred to me that a comparison of this ' moorlog ' with the 

 post-Glacial peat-deposits, which are found at various points on the 

 coast of East Yorkshire, might prove of interest, and I consequently 

 arranged with Capt. H. G. Foot, of the Hull trawler Grosbeah, to 

 bring me any of the material of this kind that came into his nets. 

 He infoimed me that the ' moorlog ' is well known to the fisher- 

 men of the North Sea, and that great cakes of it are frequently 

 brought up in the trawls. Since then, from time to time, he has 

 procured for me large pieces of this peaty material, which coincides 

 precisely with the description of the ' moorlog ' given by Mr. Clement 

 Eeid, and supports his suggestion that it represents a land-peat 

 accumulated on boggy ground. 



One large slab which Capt. Foot brought in, however, was of 

 peculiar interest, as it showed adhering to the peat a portion of 

 another deposit of altogether different character. This adherent 

 material was not peaty, but consisted of dark silty clay with shells, 

 and when dried bore some resemblance to the shelly marls that 

 occur in some of the post-Glacial lacustrine deposits of the coast, 

 though differing in the character of the shells, which in this case 

 were marine. 



On questioning Capt. Foot, I learnt that the dark shelly clay 

 associated with the ' moorlog ' was well known to the fishermen, 

 and was frequently brought up in the trawls. Further, I was in- 

 formed that on one portion of the sea-bed, along the northern edge 

 of the Dogger Bank, called by the fishermen the ' Clay-banks,' a 

 large surface of this clay is exposed. The position of the submerged 

 clay-bed is common knowledge to the fishermen, who avoid that 

 particular part of the fishing-ground because of the danger of losing 

 their tackle in the sticky clay. I may add that Capt. Foot (who is 

 admiral of the GamecocJc fleet of trawlers, and has acquired by 

 long experience a thorough knowledge of the fishing-grounds of 

 the North Sea) expressed the opinion that there is a distinct out- 

 crop of ' moorlog ' resting directly upon the shelly marl, and that 

 both materials occupy large areas in the North Sea basin, south of 

 the line drawn from Whitby to Jutland. 



^ H. Whitehead & H. H. Goodchild, ' Some Notes on " Moorlog," a Peaty 

 Deposit from the Dogger Bank in the ISorth Sea.' With Eeport on the Plant- 

 Eemains. by Clement Eeid, F.E.S., & Mrs. Eeid (with map & illustrations, 



* Essex Naturalist ' pts. i & ii, vol, xvi (April-July, 1909) p. 51. 



