36 An Excursion to the Crag District. 



needed in packing them, or you will find only shell-gravel in 

 your box on returning home.* 



We were able, on our first visit, to ascertain the best place 

 to work the Crag, and had also procured some six or eight 

 genera of shells, as proofs of the existence of the formation ; 

 but as it was now too dark to collect, we determined to return 

 to the inn, where we unpacked our Crag and made a few notes 

 thereon. 



Among the characteristic fossils of the Red Crag we found 

 the following shells : — Fusus contrarius, F. costatus, Murex 

 alveolatus, Buccinum Dalei, Nassa reticosa, Voluta Lamberti, 

 Pectunculus glycimeris, Lucina borealis, Cardium Parlcinsoni, 

 0. angustatum, Mactra arcuata, Artemis lentiforrnis, and a tiny 

 sea-urchin, Fchinocy am/us Suffolciensis. 



Certain of these are very abundant, and others only rarely 

 met with entire ; thus Fusus contrarius and Pectunculus gly- 

 cimeris, are exceedingly common, whilst Voluta Lamberti and 

 Cardium Parlcinsoni are extremely rare, and would be highly 

 valuable finds. 



Early on the following morning we again set out for the 

 Crag, after having first purchased a small spade. We worked 

 away at the undisturbed Crag with our spade and long knives 

 all day, returning to a late dinner at the inn. 



Our collection was not large, but we obtained some very 

 fair and perfect specimens, and as we hoped to do more at 

 Sutton and Sudbourn, we decided upon marching on the 

 morrow to Harwich. 



We were up by five next morning, and after having break- 

 fasted, mounted our knapsacks and started for Harwich. 

 Having ascertained that we could cross Hanford Water from 

 Stone Point to the Harwich side of the salt marshes, and so 

 save six miles, we decided to endeavour to catch the Revenue- 

 cutter's boat at high water, the only time a landing can be 

 effected. 



We were just in time to save the tide, and were soon crossing 

 towards "Peewit Island." We found it a good mile across 

 from Stone Point to the landing at the head of the creek 

 leading to the sea-wall, along which the footpath runs. The 

 tide was running out at a great rate, and made rowing up the 

 narrow stream a very difficult operation. Having each taken 

 an oar, we pushed until we were fairly aground, and then we 

 saw, about three boatVlengths off, the first stepping-stones 

 leading to the longed-for footpath. This was most tormenting, 

 as the mud was up to our waists. At length the ingenuity of 



* Most of the Crag-shells, especially the bivalves, require to be strengthened 

 by the application of repeated coatings of thin gum-water, which is absorbed 

 readily and hardens the tissue of the shell. 



