126 A SUPPOSED NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT.
The bones, which bear artificially-made markings,* are the lower jaws o
a small ox, probably Bos longifrons.
A single tooth of badger (?) was found at the same level in the cutting.
A remarkably fine horn of the great elk, Cervus megaceros, was also found
in association with these bones.''
And, as sections in alluvium are rare, it may be well to add,
from the same Memoir, p. 73 :—
"Mr. Dalton notes that where the Rivenhall Brook passes under the rail-
way N.E. of Witham the alluvium consists in part of alternate beds of peat
and calcareous tufa, full of shells ; and that similar tufaceous deposits occur in
the neighbourhood at swampy spots on the shell-marl and on Boulder Clay.''
Geological Sections in soft sands, gravels, and clays, like
those which cover almost the whole of Essex, are liable to
become almost valueless in the course of a few months, or even
weeks. We may well, therefore, congratulate ourselves on the
presence at Braintree of so keen and constant an observer as
Mr. Kenworthy.
NOTE.
My omission to mention the "Westleton Beds" as existing
in the neighbourhood of Braintree may, perhaps, be noticed.
My object has been simply to avoid confusion. The beds
already touched upon comprise all those manifestly existing in
the district. It is possible that, had we much more geological
evidence than is at present available, we might class some of
the sand and gravel, now mapped as Glacial, with the somewhat
older Westleton Beds. But looking at the great variability, in
this and other parts of Essex, of what has always been classed
as Glacial gravel, it appears to me that the evidence now exist-
ing would not warrant any division between Glacial gravel and
Westleton Beds about Braintree, as a matter of evident fact,
even if we concede the probable truth of Sir Joseph Prestwich's
general view.
Those interested in the Westleton Beds and their distribu-
tion are referred to Sir Joseph Prestwich's paper on the subject,
Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. lxvi., pp. 84--181 (1890). A short
review of the above paper by the present writer appears in the
Essex Naturalist, vol. iv., p. 100 (1890).
* "Made by implements of flint."