ance again in the present bed of the Thames—the abundance of animal-remains in the mid terrace, and their great rarity, if not absence, in the high terrace—and the invariable occurrence of both implements and animal-remains in the lowest strata of the gravel immediately adjoining the London Clay, are facts which demand an explanation of some kind. It is rather with the view of submitting these points to the judgment of geologists, than of attempting to explain them myself, that I have prepared the accompanying maps and sections with as much attention as possible to detail, and in the hope that the slight addition thus afforded to our knowledge of the distribution of the drift-implements in the Thames valley may not prove unacceptable to the Geological Society.
[Plate XXIX.]
I. High-terrace Gravel.
The animal-remains from the High-terrace Gravel belong to Bos, Ovis, Equus[1] and Elephas?
1. Bos.—The bovine remains comprise by far the greater part of the specimens collected at this level. They are all in a comparatively recent condition, though some appear to have been more exposed to atmospheric influence previous to interment than others. Most of the bones also exhibit marks of cutting or chopping with a sharp metallic implement; and none have been exposed to fire. Some few present faint indications of manganous deposit, in the form of minute specks; but none, with one exception, can be called dendritic, nor do any of them adhere to the tongue, or but very slightly so. In fact, they may nearly all be regarded as of modern origin, and as belonging to the common ox of rather small size. A perfect metacarpal measures 8 inches in length. Amongst the bovine remains is what appears to be a portion of the metacarpal of a calf.
2. Ovis.—The ovine relics are very few in number, and all modern.
3. Equus.—Two specimens only belonging to the horse occur in the High-level collection, viz. a left lower molar and a portion of the right scapula, including the glenoid cavity. Both these specimens are dendritic; and the fragment of the scapula is highly ferruginous and much decomposed, apparently from subaerial exposure, so that the surface scales off in thin laminæ. From their condition, these bones would seem to belong to a different period than
- ↑ As a curious instance of the way in which animal-remains may become mixed together, it may be mentioned that the nearly entire pelvis of an Emu was found, as it is stated, in "brick-earth at Acton, close to the south of the High-level terrace Gravel, at a depth of about 212 feet from the surface," the truth being that it was found in garden-mould at that depth.
