The Ancient Fauna of Essex. 
5 
Fig. 3.—Section in the Eastern Reservoir, and near the Em¬ 
bankment between the Eastern and Western Reservoirs:— 
Bed No. 1. 
99 
2 . 
9 9 
8 . 
9 9 
9 9 
4. 
5. 
9 9 
6 . 
Surface soil, 18 inches 
Stiff clayey loam, 18 inches . 
Very compact black peat, 3 feet. 
Shell-marl, 12 inches. . . . 
White-coated subangular gravel, 
12 inches. 
Clean red gravel, forming floor 
of reservoir, and equivalent to 
Bed No. 5 in Fig. 1, and to 
Bed No. 7 in Fig. 2 . 
The beds above the shell-marl, and in some parts of the 
area those below it also, contained abundant remains of old 
forest vegetation ; large areas of the upper loamy and peaty 
beds, where exposed in the course of the works by the 
removal of the more superficial layers, exhibiting the ancient 
remains of trees with then’ spreading roots still in situ, but 
in most instances converted into lignite and coated with 
bog-iron ore. Hazel-nuts were also abundant, and one could 
easily detect evidences of the presence of the oak and the 
alder. Other trees were probably present, and could no doubt 
have been determined by a microscopic examination of their 
wood. The peat, especially in Section No. 3, was exceedingly 
stiff and compact. 
The shell-bed on the Eastern and Northern sides of the 
area exposed, exhibited many instances of oblique lamination, 
indicative of currents and a winding river-course. Most of 
the bivalve shells had their valves united, the Uniones 
reposing in their natural position as in life; whilst the oper- 
cula remained in the apertures of many of the Paliidince. 
