NOTES AND QUERIES. 



30 



It is wonderful how widely these minute organisms are disseminated ! At 

 first I thought the black earth might be the accumulation of a large cesspool; 

 but I think the discovery of these fresh-water organisms will make it apparent 

 that the bog was the bed of an ancient stream running into the River Stour in 

 the time of the Romans. — I am, yours, &c, John Brent. 



Red and White Chalk or Yorkshire.— Dear Sir, — In the Geologist for 

 the month of November, 1860, I perceive some notes by Major-Gen. Emmett, 

 R.E., E.G.S., on the above-named formations, which, if not corrected might be 

 the cause of some disappointment to those of your readers, who, during the 

 summer months may visit this neighbourhood, and gather fossils from the red 

 chalk at Speeton; and the white chalk at Sowerby, Manton, Elamborough, 

 Buckton, Bempton, Speeton, &c. What I wish to say on the above subject is, 

 that the red chalk is not found any where nearer Elamborough than at Speeton. 

 This fact is tally stated in the Rev. Thos. Wiltshire's Monograph on the " Red 

 Chalk of England," published at your office, as also in the Geologist, vol. ii., 

 p. 261. 



I would further observe, that, although much of the red chalk at Speeton is 

 hard, yet there is, also, much of this chalk which is quite soft — so much so that 

 it can be crushed with ease between the finger and thumb. I have never yet 

 washed this soft chalk for the sake of its foraminifera ; but I have not the 

 least doubt that those who wish to do so would find it equally prolific in fossils, 

 if not more so than the harder chalk. 



The white chalk at Sowerby, near Flamborough, is much softer than any 

 part of the same formation at Elamborough, Bucton, Bempton, or Speeton. 

 All the chalk in the latter places are remarkably indurate ; and, in fact, from 

 Elamborough Dyke on the south of Elamborough, around the Head, and as far 

 as the cretaceous formation extends on the north side of it, we find all 

 the chalk very hard indeed , yet we have many softer portions of white chalk, 

 both at Sowerby and in the pits in and around Bridlington, so that any person 

 who wishes to procure soft chalk, either red or white, out of which they want 

 foraminifera, may procure any quantity they may think proper ; and I should 

 like to exchange a quantity of these soft rocks for a mounted specimen of each 

 variety of foraminifera found therein. — E. Tindall, Bridlington. 



Insect-Remains in the Paludina Beds at Peckham. — Dear Sir, — Mr. 

 Rickman, in his paper read before the Geological Society on the 7th November, 

 stated that he had not found any insect-remains in the Paludina bed at Peckham. 

 This has caused me to regard with renewed interest a fossil which I obtained on 

 breaking open a mass of this deposit last spring. Erom a comparison with the 

 figure and description given by Mr. Westwood, in his paper on fossil insects, 

 (Geol. Journ., vol. 11, p. 381,) of a specimen from the Corfe Clay, it appears to 

 me that my fossil is an elytron of a small Beetle. As Mr. Rickman expressed 

 doubt, in a letter which yon published a few 

 r\ months ago, as to the correctness of the opinion 



which a friend of mine had formed with regard to 

 a specimen in his possession, I wished, before I 

 announced the presence of insect-remains in the 

 Peckham beds, to obtain the opinion of some com- 

 petent authority. I therefore enclose a sketch, 

 and shall be pleased to know if you consider 

 ""SSpX 1 * «"> ^ject worth, of your attention. I have 

 another specimen very similar to this, but not 

 so perfect. I have also another one, smaller and rather different in shape, 

 but similarily marked with stria?. 



I enclose also some specimens belonging to a friend, one of -which is different 

 from any of those in my possession. — Yours, &c, C. E, Evans, Hampstead. 



