Woods of North-East Kent . 877 
the latter formation, while that of Polytrichum attenuatum occurs next to 
it on the deeper soil towards the north-east. 
The differences in the flora of the two woods no doubt largely depend 
on the different aspects of the two areas. The north-eastern slope will 
receive less sunlight, and will in consequence be damper and colder than the 
approximately level area found in Badgin Wood. The increased humidity 
will account for the abundance of the bryophytic flora in this part of Rice 
Wood. 
(c) A comparison has also been made with the vegetation of woods 
found on the Clay with Flints nearer to the Chalk escarpment and at 
a greater altitude. The most striking difference is due to the considerably 
greater amount of Pteris aquilina found in these woods ; in some situa¬ 
tions this species is the most abundant plant of the light flora. Cardamine 
pratensis , L., also occurs frequently in these woods and flowers freely during 
the second season after felling ; this plant is not found in Badgin Wood. 
The Loam on the Chalk. 
The flora of the deposit described as Loam on the Chalk in the 
Geological Survey is usually indistinguishable from that found on the 
Clay with Flints. A portion of Stocking Wood near Faversham occurs 
on this deposit, and in this wood Pteris aquilina is generally distributed. 
In Text-fig. 1 the Loam on the Chalk is included with the Clay with 
Flints. 
The Lower Eocene Formations. 
A considerable area of woodland is found on the Lower Eocene 
formations in both of the districts under consideration. In the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Swanley the greater part of the wood is confined to these 
deposits, little or none being found on the Chalk. The Eocene beds are 
generally found as outliers of variable extent which form small hills on 
the approximately even surface of the Chalk. The Thanet Sand, Wool¬ 
wich and Reading series, and the Oldhaven pebble beds are frequently 
all represented in such an outlier, but often only the first or first and 
second of these formations are found. Occasionally there is also a cap¬ 
ping of London Clay, but usually this deposit is found in the main mass 
of the Eocene formations. 
The Thanet Sand. 
The Thanet Sand is well represented in both districts, and gives 
rise to soil which on the whole is well suited for agriculture and is par¬ 
ticularly favourable for the cultivation of fruit. In consequence the woods 
on this deposit are not usually extensive. 
3 M 
