SECTIONS AT AMIENS. 
201 
by the workmen. The long fresh faces of gravel afford, together with the digging for 
gravel in daily operation, ready and convenient sections for observation. On my first 
\isit, notwithstanding a careful personal search, I found neither bones nor worked flints. 
I, however, obtained a number of the latter from the men, some of which were dug out 
whilst I was there ; and in the overlying sand I found numerous land and freshwater 
shells, consisting of the following species : — 
lAmneus 'palustris^ Linn. 
pereger, Miill. 
truncatulus, Miill. 
Planorhis albus, Miill. 
marginatus, Drap. 
spirorbis, Linn. 
wrtex, Linn. 
Pupa muscorum, Linn. 
Succinea putris, Linn. 
„ (var. Pfeifferi). 
Valvata piscinalis, Lam. 
Zonites radiatulus. Aid. X 
Cydas cm'nea, Linn. 
Pidclium amnicum, Miill. 
Ancylus flimatilis^ Miill. X 
Pitliinia tmtaculata, Linn. 
Helix nemoralis, Drap. 
Mspida^ Linn. 
rotundata (Buteux). 
Eemains of the following species of Mammalia have also been found at these pits : — 
Bos {primigeniusX) Elephas antiguus, Falc*. Pguus fossilis, Owen. 
Cervus. primi genius, Blum. 
Entire bones are comparatively rare in these pits, but fragments, more or less worn, are 
tolerably common. A portion, however, 4 feet long, of the tusk of an Elephant was 
recently met with ; but it is more common to find it in small pieces, easily recognized by 
their ivory structure. Teeth of the Horse in a perfect and unimpaired condition are also 
far from rare, whilst enthe teeth of the Elephas primigenius are not unfrequently found. 
The greater number of the bones are soft, light, and friable, and without any addition 
to their own earthy constituents ; and having lost their animal matter, they mostly 
adhere strongly to the tongue. Some, however, have received an additional portion of 
carbonate of lime, whereby them weight is considerably increased. The enamel of the 
teeth is generally but little changed. Some of the fossils are more or less bleached ; 
others are coloured by the peroxide of iron present in some layers of the gravel. 
I had, however, hardly reached Abbeville when I received a telegraphic message from 
M. PixsAED, to inform me that a worked flint had been discovered in situ, and left for 
my inspection. I immediately returned, accompanied this time by Mr. Evans f. As 
this was, I believe, the first flint-implement examined in situ at these pits by any 
geologists, I feel it necessary to describe it at some length. It was lying flat in the gravel, 
at a depth of 17 feet from the original surface J, and 6^ feet from the chalk. One 
side slightly projected. The gravel around was undisturbed, and presented its usual 
perpendicular face. I carefully examined the specimen, and saw no reason to doubt 
* Dr. Ealconee has just informed me of his determination of this species, and of some other interesting 
facts connected with the fossil bones at Amiens. I have, with his permission, given an extract of his letter 
in the Appendix (B). — November 1860. 
t M. PiNSAED was also present, together with MM. Dufotje and Gaexiee, the President and Secretary 
of the “ Societe des Antiquaires de Picardie.” 
X Six feet of the brick-earth at top had been removed. The bottom of the pit was 2 feet above the chalk. 
