60G 
MR. CLEMENT REID ON THE SECTIONS AT CORTON. 
VI. 
NOTES ON THE SECTIONS AT CORTON, SEEN DURING 
THE RECENT VISIT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE 
GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS. 
By Clement Reid, F.L.S., F.G.S. 
Read 2jth November, 1888. 
After the meeting of the Geological Congress in London last 
September, some of the members interested in Pliocene and 
Pleistocene Geology made an excursion to tlie Eastern Counties. 
During this excursion we were very liberally received at Corton by 
Mr. Colman, who had been at great trouble to clear extensive 
sections of the Forest-bed. The sections thus laid bare were of 
exceptional interest, and the erection of new sea defences make it 
doubtful whether the beds will again be so well seen for many years. 
Under the circumstances it was very desirable that so good an 
opportunity of examining the beds should not be lost ; but, unfortu- 
nately, the time allotted to this part of the excursion was far too 
short to allow of detailed investigations on the spot. However, 
Mr. Colman very kindly offered to have any samples I might select 
sent to me in London for further examination. It is on the 
sections then seen, and on the specimens afterwards forwarded to 
me, that the following notes are based. 
The beds exposed at the base of the cliff consist, for the whole 
distance examined, of carbonaceous clay, more or less laminated, 
and capped by a thin layer of compressed twigs and pieces of 
wood. A cursory examination of many of the larger pieces was 
made on the spot ; but the wood was so much compressed and 
altered, that it seemed to be of little use to remove it. The 
determination of woods under these conditions is a task which I have 
not the time to undertake, and doubt whether the results would be 
