Excursion to Hampstead, 11th June, 1870

40 EX CURSI ON TO H AMP STEAD.

occurs. From Grove F erry th ese beds cont inue along the Vall ey ofth e Stour westwards, for a conside rable distan ce. But about fivemiles west of Cant erbury their outcrop takes a nor th erl y direction,and extends to th e marshes sout h of Whit stabl e Bay. Outliers arealso found to th e west of th e mouth of the Swale ; and in the WesternDivision of K ent a sandy pebble bed, seen at Blackh eath, Abbey,Wood, Shottenden HIll, and Sandridge, is considered th e equivalentof th e Oldhaven Beds. At Oldhaven Gap, however, the beds con­sist chiefly of " a fine light-buff sand," from 15 to 20 feet thick ,under which lies a sandy pebble·bed, about two feet in thickn ess.

EXCURSION TO HAMPBTEAD, 11TH JUNE, 1870.

Dir ectors- The President, S. R. PATTISON, Esq., F.G.S., andCALEB EVANS, Esq., F.G.S.

Th e party met at the Swiss Cottage Station, and proceededto Hampstead across th e Conduit Fields. The position of" theMidland Railway tunnel, excavate d through stiff London Clay,containing Nuutilus, Pholado mpa , Corbula, and other ge nera waspointe d out; and Professor Morri s explained th e geologicalst ructur e of the extensive district seen to th e south and south­west, includin g the Cha lk range of th e North Downs and theTertiary hill s of Norwood and Richmond. The sect ions of th eMiddle E ocene, or Bagshot Sands, by the side of a new road ncarthe Sailors' Orph an School, were th en examined, and th e posit ionof th ese sands, forming a capping of the hill , and resting on theL ondon Clay, was explained by Mr. Pattison. Th e age of apebbly bcd, restin g on an irregul ar sur face of th e sands, ga ve riseto some discussion. I t was observed that many of the pebbles hadtheir longer axes in a nea rly vertical posit ion. After a brief visitmade to the tomb of Mr. Daniel Sharpe, a late distinguished presi­dent of the Geological Society, th e party walked through Frogn eland across the Heath to the" Leg of Mutton Pond,' at NorthEnd. Here patches of the L ondon Clay, which had been rai sed toth e surface from some drainage work s, were seen, and specimensof P eciunculus decussatus-a fossil characteristic of the" H ighgateZ one" of the London Clay-were obtained. From an adjac enthill, capped by th e Bagshot Sands, P rofessor Morris pointed out

EXCURSION TO FOLK ESTONE. 41

Harrow Hill, also capped with sand, and explained that this upp erdeposit must once ha ve been continuous, and that th e int erveningvalley had been formed by denudation ; he also explained that thesand at the top of the hill was a water-bearing st ratum, giving riset o several streams at th e juncti on with the subjacent clay, and thatth e numerous minor vall eys descending from th e hill had beenformed by the streams. Good examples of these valleys wereseen at North End and at th e Vale of Health , the pond at thelatter spot forming th e headwaters of one of the bran ches of theF'l eet. The sands were also examined in th e large pit on th e topof the Heath. After a visit to the Chalybeate Sprin g, in W ellW alk , the party conclud ed a very pleasant excursion by proceedingt o the residence of Mr. Caleb Evans, at Downshire Hill, andinsp ecting the fine collection of London Clay fossils which thatg entleman possesses.

EXCURSION TO FOLKESTONE, 18TH JUNE, 1870.

Director-The President, PROFESSOR :MORRIS, F.G.S.

This excursion, was, in its results, perhaps one of the most suc­cessful of the session.

The beauty of th e weather, enhanced by the delicious eoolness ofthe sea-breezes ; the fine sta te of the sect ions visit ed ; and th eabundance of the fossils , left nothing to be desired by those whosegood fortune had again placed th em under the guidance of ProfessorMorris .

0n arriving at the pier, a rapid survey was taken of the chiefpoints of interest along the coast to right and left of Folkestone.Th e fine chalk cliffs forming the north ern boundary of EastwareBay; rising at Folkestone Hill to a height of 566ft.; the outcropof the soft clay beds of the Gault, and the consequent suddendepression and recedence of th e coast line; the rise of the sandsand stone-beds of the Neocomian strata from beneath Copt P oint,and their continuance to and beyond the town of Folkestone, wereall matters of remark; while th e former existence and position ofa gravel-bed containing th e remainsof extinct lllammalia-Elephas,Hh inoceros, &c.-on th e high g round above the harbour, was noted.

The strata first examined in detail were some dark-greenish sub-