Fossil Bones and Pseudo-Coprolites of the Crag. 93 



this country under one form or another^ and the consumption of 

 them is daily and rapidly increasing-. 



The strata where these remains are found in greatest abundance 

 and are most economically attainable (as I believe I have before had 

 occasion to observe), are the loose green-sands and supercreta- 

 ceous ferruginous sandy crag of Suffolk, &c. The green-sand 

 of Hastings, where they have been lately found, is very super- 

 ficial, as is also the crag. Both are easily worked through, and 

 there the fossils are found rolled together in large thick masses. 

 In the more consolidated strata, the working of course is more 

 expensive, the remains are more scattered, and the separation of 

 the valuable from the useless portions is thus rendered almost 

 impossible. The Suffolk crag being exceedingly rich in fossils, 

 both as regards number and quality, and the expense of water- 

 carriage to any part of the eastern coast-line being at the same 

 time very trifling, this county necessarily offers peculiar advan- 

 tages to those who are engaged in this branch of traffic. The 

 contract which is usually entered into in this county for the labour 

 of raising these remains, namely, for digging, screening, washing, and 

 storing, amounts to from 45. 6c?. to 5^-. per ton ; whereas, delivered 

 on board the vessel, the charge to the purchaser is 30^. to 45^. 

 per ton. This difference in price, it must be understood, has no 

 respect whatever to the chemical value of the fossils, but is to be 

 attributed solely to the cleverness, or rather cupidity of the seller. 

 Taking the lowest price, however, it will be seen that a clear 

 profit of 2O5. or 25^. per ton is gained by the owner of the land. 

 So large, indeed, is the profit thus obtained, I have been told, 

 that the produce of a few acres in fossil bones, &c., when sold, 

 has been often known to realise the full value of a small estate ; 

 whilst at the same time it must be recollected, that the land itself 

 is actually improved by the course of treatment to which it is sub- 

 jected, when excavating for the fossils. 60/. to 70/., and even 

 80/., have been repeatedly given for liberty to dig over a two- 

 acre field. 



In many parts of the Suffolk coast, the manure is prepared di- 

 rectly upon the spot ; that is to say, the coprolites and bones are 

 reduced to a coarse powder in mills of a peculiar construction and 

 great power, furnished with vertical granite and buhr stones ; they 

 are afterwards mixed with about an equal weight of strong sul- 

 phuric acid or oil of vitriol, in tubs, &c., and are thus converted 

 into superphosphate of lime ; whilst in other cases they are 

 transported by water to other places, where large manufactories 

 have been erected for the preparation of artificial manures. 



A mere inspection of a geological map of England would suf- 

 fice to point out those places where the remains will most pro- 

 bably be found ; but in order to spare the reader the incon- 



