NOTES ON ESSEX GEOLOGY. 
2 75 
as perhaps “ part of an old glacial lake deposit,” and is “ led 
to the conclusion that the greater features of the Thames valley 
were formed before the climax of the Ice Age.” But he adds 
that “ there can be no doubt that much denudation of the 
Cretaceous and Tertiary formations was effected by the Thames 
and its tributaries long after the dissolution of the ice sheet.” 
The various gravel-terraces are noticed and their formation 
discussed 
Chapter xxxviii. of Jukes-Browne’s Cretaceous Rocks of 
Britain, vol. ii., 22 treats of the Middle Chalk of Cambridgeshire 
and North-east Essex ; but the references are all to the former 
county. Clearly there is here an opening for observers. There 
is an error in the Index, where Essex is credited with something 
on p. 193. 
What is presumably the best general account of the geology 
of Essex (up-to-date), was given by our Honorary Member, 
H. B. Woodward, in the Victoria History of Essex. In this 
essay the author discusses the question whether Coal Measures 
occur at a workable depth, but wisely refrains from giving a 
definite opinion. I take this chance of recording the loss to 
geology from the death of my old friend and erstwhile colleague 
in February of this year. 
A short account of the Palaeontology (Vertebrates only) 
is given by R. Lydekker, and under Early Man the Palaeolithic 
Period is noticed. 23 
1904 . 
Dr. A. Irving, in dealing with “ Plateau Gravels on the North 
Side of the Tamisian Area,” 24 supplements former papers. 
He notices the rock-constituents of the gravels, the chief 
characteristic of which is the abundance of quartzite-pebbles, 
etc., from the Bunter of the Midlands. “ Not only are these 
gravels much older than the Boulder-clay. . . superimposed 
upon them, but their relation to the present river-drainage shows 
that they are older than even the pre-Glacial valleys of erosion 
in the Chalk.” This argument may hold if the Glacial infilling 
of those valleys is not older than the Boulder Clay, as has been 
suggested of late years. 
I must own to being staggered by the author’s reference 
22 Mem. Geol. Survey. 
23 Vol. i., pp. 1-33, Geological Map, pp. 25-30, pp. 261263, plate of implements. 
24 Gcol. Mag., dec. v., vol. i., p. 497. 
