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Excursion to Kew gardens, Richmond, and Kingston Hill
370
J. W. DAns ON THE FISH OF THE YOHKSHIRE COAl, FIELD.
preserved. The genera Platusoma, Cycloptychiu8, Acanthodes, and Amphicentrum are all well represented, as well as several others. The Newcastle district is remarkable for the number and preservation of several species of Otenodus, whilst Palceoniscus is rare, and the spines so common in Yorkshire are absent. .A larger proportion of Labyrinthodonts are found intermingled with fish remains in this coal-field than in any other, whilst on the other side of the Tweed, the principal feature of the fish fauna rests in the presence of immense Ganoids of the genus Rhizodus. These fishes, armour-plated, and possessing strong jaws, armed with immense teeth measuring three or four inches in length, must have been most formidable adversaries to all other existing species. III no other district. is the Iihizodu« developed to so large a size as in the South Scotch Coal Field. Thus we find that, whilst certain of the fishes are common to all the districts, like M egaZich thys, Gyracanthu8 and Ctenacanthus, there are others which were altogether localized, or which thrived much better in some localities than in others. It will be an interesting work, when sufficient material shall have been accumulated from all these districts, to consider on what special features these diversities of fauna depend, and to endeavour to elucidate by these means the physical history of the Carboniferous Period.
EXCURSION TO KEW GARDENS, RICHMOND, AND KINGSTON HILL. SATURDAY, JUNE
12th, 1880.
Directors :-Sm JOSEPH D. HOOKER, C. B., F.R.S., &c., Director of Kew Gardens; and J. LOGAN LOBLEY, ESQ., F.G.S.
A numerous body of Members and friends assembled at the grand entrance of the Royal Gardens of Kew, and were met by Sir J. D. Hooker, who conducted the party through several of the houses and the most interesting parts of the gardens. The more noteworthy of the plants were pointed out, and the most remarkable were the subjects of special demonstrations, which were listened to with great interest. After the visitors had inspected the new Temperate Honse, on the west of the Grand Avenne, Prof. Morris,
EX CUR SION TO KEW GARDEN S, R I C H~IO N' D , AND KIN G STOS HILL .
371
in proposing a vote of thanks to Sir Joseph Hooker, enla rged upon th e geologi cal interest of many of the plants th at had been seen, pa rti cularly r eferrin g to those which illu strated th e vegetati on of th e Carb oniferou s Ep och. On leaving th e gardens Mr. L obley condu cted th e party by Richmond Gre en, t he old tilting yard of th e great hist orical p alace of Richmond, or S heen, as it was in olden t imes called, to t he " Hill," where, with th e l: : . urvey maps of the district sp read on th e ground, th e physical features of th e portion of th e Th ames Valley, seen from this commanding eminence, were pointed out. Th ough th e atm osphere was not very clear, th e towers of Windsor, mark ing th e commencement of th e W est ern Chalk, were mad e out , but the elevat ions of London Clay, on th e north side of the valley , could not be seen. The steep declivity of Richmond Hill, and the somewhat elevat ed and undulating country on the Surrey side of the vall ey in this district, is in marked contrust to the extensive low plain which forms a considerable porti on of the County of Middlesex on the other side of the river , The high er land on the Surrey side is London Clay, covered , for th e most par t, by High-lev el Gra vels, and in some places by Bagshots, while th e low lands of Middl esex pres ent an almost unbroken sheet of L ow-level Gravels and Brick-earths covering L ondon Clay. Th ese Brick-e arths ar e most extensively work ed along the Gr eat \V est ern R ailway in th e neigh bourh ood of Southall and other places. To th ose who hav e seen and admired th e magnificent beech-woods which grow on the Ch alk hill s high er up the Thames V alley, the sta tely el ms which flour ish on the Alluvium and Brick-earth s of thi s neighbourhood, and th e noble oaks of th e high er g rounds, present a str iking ly different scene . Proceeding t.hrough th e P ark , th e party wer e several ti mes tempted to stop and admi re its sylvan beauty, but a gravel pit, near the Thatched H ouse L odge , claimed attention to an int erestin g indicati on of the p resence of th e L ower Bagshots. An oth er outlier of th ese beds was pa ssed on Kin gston Hill, wher e an old pottery affords a somewhat un sati sfactory exposure. Hi gh er up the hill, and ncar the" George and Dragon," an extensive excavation displays a rery fine section of the High-level G ravels, which were examin ed with great interest, and explained by the Director, who dr ew attention to the pre sence of pe bbles derived fr om vari ous and distant rocks, although th e gr eat bulk of the grav el is composed of sub-ang ular and round ed flint from th e
372
EXCURflION TO KEW GARDENS, RI CHMOND, AND KINGSTON HI LL.
Chalk. Ragstone and chert pebbles from th e Greensands are common, while white quartz sub-ang ular pebbles are by no means rare, and others are met with which are doubtless from Sil urian rocks. After discussing the possibl e means by which fragment s of such different rock s were brought together and deposited in thi s distri ct in such great qu antity, the party proceeded by Coombe Vall ey, crossing to th e opposite elevation, the Rid gway, which was followed to Wimbledon, where the train was taken for Lond on.
EXCURSION TO CRO YDON AND RIDDLE SDOWN. SATURDAY, JUNE
Director :-J.
19th, 1880.
LOGAN LOB LEY, ESQ.,
F.G.S.
On arriving at East Croydon st ation the Members of th e A ssociation were met by John Flow er, Esq., M.A., and a party of Members of the Croydon Microscopical and Natural History Club, of which that gentl eman is th e President. Th e well-kn own extensive gravel-pits in F airfield were first visit ed, and the fine sections of Valley gravels here exposed were carefully inspected. Th e Dir ector and Mr. Flow er explained the sections, and drew attention to the pr esence of th e Oldhaven pebbles, so abundant now at Shirley and Croham Hurst, and to the conrse of th e W andI e having chan ged so considera bly as to leave here high and dry about twenty feet thickness of its old deposit. Mr. Flower was not aware of any org anic remains having been found here, but at Thornton Heath an elephant's tusk, preserved by a coating of clay, Lad been obtained. The und erlying W oolwich and Reading Beds are not now exposed as formerl y in Chichester R oad, but the pres ence of their clay-beds is indicated by sprin gs and the lake in the beaut iful grounds of Park Hill House, the residence of Mrs. J. W. Flower, which the party was court eously invited to visit. From Park Hill to the Water Tower is but a short walk, and, by the kindness of Dr. Strong, of Croydon , the whole of the party were enabled to assemble OIl the top of thi s commandingly placed buildin g. Th e day being fine the physical features of the district were seen to advantage j the hill s of Shirley and Croliam Hurst, and th e Ball-
J. W. DAns ON THE FISH OF THE YOHKSHIRE COAl, FIELD.
preserved. The genera Platusoma, Cycloptychiu8, Acanthodes, and Amphicentrum are all well represented, as well as several others. The Newcastle district is remarkable for the number and preservation of several species of Otenodus, whilst Palceoniscus is rare, and the spines so common in Yorkshire are absent. .A larger proportion of Labyrinthodonts are found intermingled with fish remains in this coal-field than in any other, whilst on the other side of the Tweed, the principal feature of the fish fauna rests in the presence of immense Ganoids of the genus Rhizodus. These fishes, armour-plated, and possessing strong jaws, armed with immense teeth measuring three or four inches in length, must have been most formidable adversaries to all other existing species. III no other district. is the Iihizodu« developed to so large a size as in the South Scotch Coal Field. Thus we find that, whilst certain of the fishes are common to all the districts, like M egaZich thys, Gyracanthu8 and Ctenacanthus, there are others which were altogether localized, or which thrived much better in some localities than in others. It will be an interesting work, when sufficient material shall have been accumulated from all these districts, to consider on what special features these diversities of fauna depend, and to endeavour to elucidate by these means the physical history of the Carboniferous Period.
EXCURSION TO KEW GARDENS, RICHMOND, AND KINGSTON HILL. SATURDAY, JUNE
12th, 1880.
Directors :-Sm JOSEPH D. HOOKER, C. B., F.R.S., &c., Director of Kew Gardens; and J. LOGAN LOBLEY, ESQ., F.G.S.
A numerous body of Members and friends assembled at the grand entrance of the Royal Gardens of Kew, and were met by Sir J. D. Hooker, who conducted the party through several of the houses and the most interesting parts of the gardens. The more noteworthy of the plants were pointed out, and the most remarkable were the subjects of special demonstrations, which were listened to with great interest. After the visitors had inspected the new Temperate Honse, on the west of the Grand Avenne, Prof. Morris,
EX CUR SION TO KEW GARDEN S, R I C H~IO N' D , AND KIN G STOS HILL .
371
in proposing a vote of thanks to Sir Joseph Hooker, enla rged upon th e geologi cal interest of many of the plants th at had been seen, pa rti cularly r eferrin g to those which illu strated th e vegetati on of th e Carb oniferou s Ep och. On leaving th e gardens Mr. L obley condu cted th e party by Richmond Gre en, t he old tilting yard of th e great hist orical p alace of Richmond, or S heen, as it was in olden t imes called, to t he " Hill," where, with th e l: : . urvey maps of the district sp read on th e ground, th e physical features of th e portion of th e Th ames Valley, seen from this commanding eminence, were pointed out. Th ough th e atm osphere was not very clear, th e towers of Windsor, mark ing th e commencement of th e W est ern Chalk, were mad e out , but the elevat ions of London Clay, on th e north side of the valley , could not be seen. The steep declivity of Richmond Hill, and the somewhat elevat ed and undulating country on the Surrey side of the vall ey in this district, is in marked contrust to the extensive low plain which forms a considerable porti on of the County of Middlesex on the other side of the river , The high er land on the Surrey side is London Clay, covered , for th e most par t, by High-lev el Gra vels, and in some places by Bagshots, while th e low lands of Middl esex pres ent an almost unbroken sheet of L ow-level Gravels and Brick-earths covering L ondon Clay. Th ese Brick-e arths ar e most extensively work ed along the Gr eat \V est ern R ailway in th e neigh bourh ood of Southall and other places. To th ose who hav e seen and admired th e magnificent beech-woods which grow on the Ch alk hill s high er up the Thames V alley, the sta tely el ms which flour ish on the Alluvium and Brick-earth s of thi s neighbourhood, and th e noble oaks of th e high er g rounds, present a str iking ly different scene . Proceeding t.hrough th e P ark , th e party wer e several ti mes tempted to stop and admi re its sylvan beauty, but a gravel pit, near the Thatched H ouse L odge , claimed attention to an int erestin g indicati on of the p resence of th e L ower Bagshots. An oth er outlier of th ese beds was pa ssed on Kin gston Hill, wher e an old pottery affords a somewhat un sati sfactory exposure. Hi gh er up the hill, and ncar the" George and Dragon," an extensive excavation displays a rery fine section of the High-level G ravels, which were examin ed with great interest, and explained by the Director, who dr ew attention to the pre sence of pe bbles derived fr om vari ous and distant rocks, although th e gr eat bulk of the grav el is composed of sub-ang ular and round ed flint from th e
372
EXCURflION TO KEW GARDENS, RI CHMOND, AND KINGSTON HI LL.
Chalk. Ragstone and chert pebbles from th e Greensands are common, while white quartz sub-ang ular pebbles are by no means rare, and others are met with which are doubtless from Sil urian rocks. After discussing the possibl e means by which fragment s of such different rock s were brought together and deposited in thi s distri ct in such great qu antity, the party proceeded by Coombe Vall ey, crossing to th e opposite elevation, the Rid gway, which was followed to Wimbledon, where the train was taken for Lond on.
EXCURSION TO CRO YDON AND RIDDLE SDOWN. SATURDAY, JUNE
Director :-J.
19th, 1880.
LOGAN LOB LEY, ESQ.,
F.G.S.
On arriving at East Croydon st ation the Members of th e A ssociation were met by John Flow er, Esq., M.A., and a party of Members of the Croydon Microscopical and Natural History Club, of which that gentl eman is th e President. Th e well-kn own extensive gravel-pits in F airfield were first visit ed, and the fine sections of Valley gravels here exposed were carefully inspected. Th e Dir ector and Mr. Flow er explained the sections, and drew attention to the pr esence of th e Oldhaven pebbles, so abundant now at Shirley and Croham Hurst, and to the conrse of th e W andI e having chan ged so considera bly as to leave here high and dry about twenty feet thickness of its old deposit. Mr. Flower was not aware of any org anic remains having been found here, but at Thornton Heath an elephant's tusk, preserved by a coating of clay, Lad been obtained. The und erlying W oolwich and Reading Beds are not now exposed as formerl y in Chichester R oad, but the pres ence of their clay-beds is indicated by sprin gs and the lake in the beaut iful grounds of Park Hill House, the residence of Mrs. J. W. Flower, which the party was court eously invited to visit. From Park Hill to the Water Tower is but a short walk, and, by the kindness of Dr. Strong, of Croydon , the whole of the party were enabled to assemble OIl the top of thi s commandingly placed buildin g. Th e day being fine the physical features of the district were seen to advantage j the hill s of Shirley and Croliam Hurst, and th e Ball-