THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
237 
the crags, which are seldom to be seen in 
contact. Moreover, the phosphate nodule 
bed contains the remains of terrestrial quad- 
rupeds which were characteristic of the Miocene 
period, when England was continental and 
not submerged; such species of the genera 
Hyaenarctos, Hipparion, Rhinoceros, Mastodon, 
Elephas, Tapiris, Cervus etc. It may be 
here noticed that thanks to the commercial 
enterprise aroused by the value of the nodules, 
geology has thus, acquired a greatly increased 
knowledge of both land and marine fauna of 
those early periods, 
Above the Red Crag are what are how reco- 
gnised as glacial sands and clays with scattered 
boulders of foreign origin. In these latter top- 
most layers is what might be called a Romano- 
British “Kitchen-midden,” as well as a burial 
place; numerous fragments of pottery and 
bones and quantities of the common garden snail. 
Helix aspersa. (H. Pomatia the apple snail is not 
known there,) are abundant. The Professor and 
myself unearthed on one occasion, a skeleton, 
by the side of which was an elegant, vase of red 
clay. The skull and vase are now in the Ipswich 
Museum. 
In consequence of the encroachment of the sea 
at this point of the eastern coast, landslips 
frequently occurred, thus causing a succession of 
semicircular “bays” in the cliff, the fallen masses 
shelving from within a few feet of the beach to 
as many from the summit of the cliff, some 
seventy or more above it. The width and depth 
of these semicircular bays being about 100 feet (1). 
The surface of this sloping portion was strew 
over with the debris of the Red Crag, including 
vast quantities of “nodules.” (2) It was these 
latter which first drew Professor Henslow’s 
attention when geologizing, accompanied by the 
writer, then first initiated in the delights of the 
science of Geology. Taking a few home that 
struck him as being peculiar in form, he exa- 
mined them carefully; finding that not infre- 
quently some fossil organic body, such as a shark’s 
(1) At the present day, this feature is not so 
conspicuous as it was forty years ago. 
(2) If I remember rightly, shells and, teeth, and 
nodules from the Red Crag are to be seen in a 
case in the Public Library Valletta. 
tooth or a shell was embedded in the nodules, he 
strongly suspected them to be phosphatic in their 
nature, more especially as his first impression 
was that the majority, if not all, were genuine 
“coprolites”. (1) 
This view 7 he communicated to the Geological 
Society, and he also published a few remarks in 
the “Gardener’s Chronicle” (1841, p. 43). Pie 
however, subsequently considerably modified this 
idea, being by more extended observation con- 
vinced that they were either nodular concre- 
tions, or mere hardened masses of London Clay, 
which had been rolled into various shapes at or 
more probably preceding the time the clay was 
deposited, which had subsequently undergore some 
alteration in their mineral character, having 
become highly “charged” with phosphate of lime. 
Some of these nodules were transmitted to Mr. 
W, H. Potter, Fore Street Lambeth, who proves, 
as the Professor had suspected, that they con- 
tained a large proportion of phosphate of lime, 
in fact about 56 p. c. He at once saw that now 
was the time for Lit big’s anticipations to be 
realized and there was a vast source of profitable 
material ojjened for any enterprising agricul- 
turist. Deeming it inconsistent with his clerical 
profession to engage in any pecuniary specula- 
tion, he did not hesitate a moment in leading 
others to profit, by his discovery. He commu- 
nicated it to a general manufacturer, Mr. now 
Sir John Bennett Law r es, who desired a ton 
of nodules to be forwarded for experiment. The 
Professor procured the assistance of a number 
of the Villagers of Felixstowto collect the nodules. 
They were sent direct to Mr. Lawes. Although 
the idea of manufacturing the superphosphate 
could not at first be entertained, in consequence 
of an exaggerated notion of their value being 
afloat: so that a higher price was often demanded 
for the raw material than for the manufactured 
article, yet, as soon as a more reasonable value 
was assigned to the nodules, they became a 
staple commodity of trade. 
Thus was the dream of Liebig’s fond imagin- 
ation realised; a dream, indeed as many in- 
cluding the Professor himself Considered it to 
( 1 ) It ivas due to this mistake that the woixl 
“ Coprolite ” became the commercial term for these 
phosphatic nodules, 
