THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
193
The shelly clays of the Woolwich series, and the Oldhaven pebble beds,
are, however, better seen on the steep face at the east side of the hill, where
they abound in fossil shells. These are mostly in fragments, but by careful
search good specimens may be found. The most plentiful fossils in the
Woolwich beds are two species of Cyrena (C. cordata and C. cuticiformis), and
the turreted Gasteropod, Melania inquinata ; another similar shell, Cerithium
funatum ; and a large species of Oyster (0. bellovacina) are also found. The
Oldhaven beds yield the same species, and some others, as Peotuncuhts plum-
steadensis, and the Gastropod's, Melanopsis, Neritina, and Buccinum.
A substantial tea at Old Charlton village formed a welcome termination
to the day ; some members of the party afterwards walked across the park to
Greenwich, under Mr. T. V. Holmes' guidance and hospitality. In the park
specimens of a dark race of Fallow Deer were much noticed, and reminded
the Essex visitors of the well-known deer of the Epping woods.
VISIT TO FOWLNESS ISLAND, ESSEX.
Saturday, July 22nd, 1899.
Conductors :—W. H. Dalton, Esq, F.G.S., Rev. R. H.. Marsh, M.A., and
the Hon. Secretaries.
The Meeting was arranged to allow of Members visiting a very curious
district of the "Dane-land" of Essex, which is interesting from several points
of view. Fowlness Island is, however, difficult of access, and our arrange-
ments necessitated leaving home early in the morning in order to catch the
tide; the members travelling down by the train arriving at Burnham at ten
o'clock. As the train approached North Fambridge, the sight of many
hundreds of acres of arable land under water, enabled the members to realize
the disastrous permanent effect of the great tide of November 29th, 1897.
The early arrival enabled the visitors to spend some time in exploring
this pretty river-side village, so well known to yachtsman for the safe anchor-
age in the Crouch. Its pleasantness it may be feared is threatened by the
mistaken policy of the railway company in running excursion trains at
ridiculously cheap fares, and so bringing into the place people apparently
incapable of appreciating its quaintness and quietude.
At about high tide (12 o'clock) the party embarked on the sailing boat
"Volunteer," and we steered for the Quay at Fowlness. It had been in-
tended to take a sail in the Crouch Estuary, but the absence of a favourable
wind forbade.
Any dredging in the river was, of course, out of the question. A good
account (and probably the only one yet published) of the marine zoology of
the Crouch River is that given in the two papers by Messrs. E. A. Fitch and
Walter Crouch in the Essex Naturalist (vol. v., pp. 145-152, and vol. vi.,
pp. 81-92). At Burnham, on the sea-wall, the large Isopod, Ligia oceanica, L.
was fairly common, but owing to its quickness in darting into the crevises of
the blocks of Kentish ragstone with which the wall is faced, it was difficult to
procure specimens. At the Quay on Fowlness, a hunt was made amongst the
rejectamenta on the edge of the tide for specimens of small molluscs, Melampus
(Conovulus) sp. which Mr. Dalton reported as having been common when he
collected on the island some years ago, and a few specimens were obtained.
An excellent cold luncheon had been carried in the boat from the "Royal
Hotel "—and was served in a very al fresco manner on temporary tables set up
by the waiters on the sea-wall!