256 
THE ESSEX NATURALIST. 
Mrs. E. Fox, of “ Hispar,” Harrow Drive, Romford. 
Miss M. Goldwin, M.A., of 8, Rectory Road, Walthamstow, E. 17. 
and three candidates were nominated for election. 
The Hon. Secretary referred to the recent bereavement of the Club's 
Patron, H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, and said that the President and 
he had signed, on behalf of the members of the Club, a respectful letter of 
condolence with His Royal Highness, who had graciously acknowledged 
same. 
The President proposed the hearty thanks of the Club to Mr. Briscoe 
for the charming ramble which they had enjoyed under his leadership, and 
to both Mr. and Mrs. Briscoe for their kind hospitality that afternoon- 
This proposal was carried by acclamation, and Mr. Briscoe replied suitably. 
A very pleasant hour or so was then spent in inspecting our host’s 
garden. 
The return to Chelmsford was made by motor omnibus through bye 
lanes and roads, in good time to catch the 8.7 train back to London. 
VISIT TO THE GRAYS CHALK QUARRIES (518th 
MEETING). 
Saturday, 26th June, 1920. 
This excursion was planned to afford an opportunity of studying the 
Botany and Geology of the extensive chalk pits belonging to the Grays 
Chalk Quarries Company Ltd., permission to explore which had been 
kindly given by the Directors of the Company. 
The official party travelled to Grays by the 10.17 a.m. train from 
Fenchurch Street; other Members, unable to leave town earlier, joined 
the party at the quarries in the afternoon. Mr. E. T. Newton, F.R.S., 
the President, and the Honorary Secretary, were the conductors. 
The Pits consist of a lower Chalk quarry and an upper pit of Thanet 
Sand, overlaid by Thames Valley deposits which are worked for brick- 
earth. 
The upper pit was first visited, and plant-collecting was assiduously 
pursued by the visitors. The large Greywethers lying on the floor of the 
upper pit, which exhibit beautifully mam initiated surfaces, and one of 
which measures 9ft. 7m. in length, were inspected, and their origin dis¬ 
cussed ; lunch was likewise discussed at this juncture. 
The site of the now filled-in Dene Hole, discovered in January last,2. 
was inspected, and Mr. Percy Thompson gave a brief account of the dis¬ 
covery. 
By devious and somewhat difficult routes the visitors made their way 
down the face of the Chalk cliff to the floor of the lower pit, which is over¬ 
grown, except for the paths made by the quarrymen to and from the 
working face of the Chalk, by a scrub of young Sallow and Birch trees, 
with an admixture of Sycamore, Hawthorn, Ash, Elder, Dogwood, Cle¬ 
matis and Rubus ccesius. In the older parts of the extensive quarry, the 
chalk-loving Ash was seen to be forming an ash-wood. 
N 2 Essex Naturalist, xix, p. 154. 
