190 FIELD MEETINGS.

the party worked fairly quickly up the section to the glacial deposits on thetop of the hill. The Director pointed out the sharp junction with the Chalkwith its deeply channelled surface and emphasised the difficulty in arrivingat conclusions regarding the relative ages of this boulder clay and the Hippo­potamus-bearing gravels of Barrington village.

Members collected numerous Jurassic fossils and rocks and noted the largenumber of well striated boulders of hard white chalk and the numerous specimensof grey flint, all indications that this drift had come from a practically duenortherly direction. The fact that very little decalcification had taken placein the drift was also noted.

On the way from the top of the hill, the Burwell Rock facies was notedwith its characteristic brown phosphate nodules.

The party had an excellent tea, which Dr. E. Dix and her students hadbrought from Cambridge.

Note by the Secretary for Field Meetings. Professor King, with his usualmodesty, omitted to add that he and Mrs. King were, with Dr. E. Dix, jointlyresponsible for supplying the tea. During this, a vote of thanks to Professorand Mrs. King, Mr. Brighton and Miss Dix was proposed by Dr. K. P. Oakleyand carried with acclamation.

FIELD MEETING AT ELMSTEAD WOODS, KENTSaturday, 22nd July, 1944.

Report by the Director, ARTHUR WRIGLEY.

Although by a postal failure, the July circular did not reach most Membersuntil a day or so before the field meeting and despite wailings around andracket aloft, seven Members carried out the programme to the letter, exceptingthat the Director had to interrupt his discourse while overhead a flying bombsnorted Londonwards. The well-known Rock-Pit in Sundridge Park wasvisited, but a full report of what was seen is deferred until the meeting is repeated.

FIELD MEETING AT WEST WICKHAM. KENTSaturday, 13th May, 1944.

Report by the Director, ALAN WOOD, B.Sc., Ph.D., F.G.S.

Assembling at West Wickham Station, a party of thirty-five Members andfriends went obliquely up the dip-slope of the Tertiaries to the outcrop of theBlackheath Beds in Woodland Way (Proc. Geol. Assoc., lv, p, 21). Thesebeds, and the Reading Beds below, were examined. While descending thevalley-side to the south-east, it was made clear how rain-wash, taking stonesfrom the Blackheath Beds down the hillside, over the top of the lower beds,gave a false idea of the limits of the formation. At the foot of the slope analluvial flat and the Chalk hills at the other side of the valley were seen. TheThanet Sand was well exposed a hundred and fifty yards to the north-east,and it was clear that there was no room for the Chalk to crop out between itand the alluvial flat. The line of the Bourne, which rises in the floor of thevalley during wet winters, could be seen and it was interesting to see that houseshad lately been put up right across it.

On proceeding to the new road section it was found that Thanet Sand hadbeen exposed in the back garden of No.7, Seabrook Drive, while Woolwich

FIELD MEETINGS. 191

and Reading Beds were newly uncovered in the front garden of No. 12. Thesenew facts make necessary a change of the line given on the sketch-map ofHimus and Wood; the correct line between Thanet Sand and Woolwich andReading Beds lying nearly 50 yards farther to the north-west. In the cuttingitself, Mr. A. G. Davis, clearing the side, discovered the Bottom Bed of theWoolwich and Reading Beds, with rounded flints imbedded in soft sand.

Fossils were obtained from the Shell Band in the Blackheath Beds, andsome members saw the solution effects in these beds.

A good section in the alluvial flat was seen in the gravel workings in TiePigs Lane. Unrounded flints rested sharply on Thanet Sand, and the President(Mr. A. S. Kennard) suggested that these deposits were caused by solifluction,during the later stages of the Glacial Period.

The meeting was concluded by a vote of thanks which was proposed bythe President.