xlii 
PEOCEEWNGS, 
culvert early in the year. It had now been cleared, and the fine 
sheet of water which had existed here, forming a conspicuous 
feature in the landscape, had disappeared, leaving only a tiny 
stream flowing through a muddy swamp, not even in sufficient 
volume to reach the culvert, for it disappeared underground and 
reappeared below the lane. 
In 1897 the Bourne was traced to its source, hut this time no 
farther than this lane. In returning, the gravel-pit much lower 
down the valley, which when the Bourne flows is converted into 
a pond, was found to he nearly full of water, hut although 
a considerable stream was flowing into it, not a drop of water 
appeared to he flowing out of it, another instance of underground 
flow only, for the stream was again seen a few feet below the pond. 
On arriving at Bourne End tea was provided at the White Horse 
Inn, and the Director gave an explanation of the phenomena which 
had been witnessed, and stated the dates on which the Bourne 
had been known to flow. As this information is already in our 
4 Transactions,’ it need not he repeated. The mean rainfall in 
Hertfordshire for the year 1903 was stated to have been 37-83 ins., 
of which 33-72ins. fell up to the end of October; and in the 
Colne district 38-86 ins., and 34-52 ins. to the end of October. 
In the valley of the Bulbourne the fall was stated to have been 
still greater, the average at five stations, all above Bourne End, 
being 40-16 ins. in the year, and 35-32 ins. in the first ten months. 
A letter was then read from Mr. T. C. Myddelton, in which he 
gave the average discharge of the Chadwell Spring in cubic feet 
per minute for certain weeks as follows :—Average for the week 
ended 3rd January, 1903, nil ; 4th April, 243; 13th June, 17; 
7th November, 424; 26th December, 405; 9th April, 1904, 382; 
the decrease, it was stated, having been daily and gradually since 
the 7th of November, 1903. Thus it appeared that the Bourne 
broke out about the time of the maximum discharge of the 
Chadwell Spring, but that while that spring gradually decreased 
in volume from November to April, the Bourne increased for three 
months and a half, from its rise in the middle of November to the 
end of February. 
It may be well to append the sources of information on the 
flowing of the Bourne which may be found in our ‘ Transactions.’ 
1877. Evans, J.—“The Hertfordshire Bourne.” Trans. Watford Nat. Hist. 
Soc., Yol. I, p. 137. 
1882. Hopkinson, J.—“The Bourne Valley, Boxmoor.” Trans. Herts Nat. 
Hist. Soc., Yol. I, p. lviii. 
1883. Littleboy, J. E.—“ The Elver Bourne.” Ib., Yol. II, p. 237. 
1884. Hopkinson, J.—“ Berkhamsted and the Valley of the Bourne.” Ib., 
Yol. II, p. lv. 
1898. - “ The Valley of the Bourne, Boxmoor.” Ib., Yol. IX, p. lxv. 
1899. - “The Chadwell Spring and the Hertfordshire Bourne.” 
Ib., Yol. X, p. 69. 
The following papers, which, though treating of the Croydon 
Bourne, refer incidentally to our Bourne, may also be consulted :— 
