266
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
sheet by Whitaker and Dalton. And in 1890 Mr. W. H. Dalton wrote for
the Essex Field Club "A brief sketch of the Crag Formation of East Anglia.
An outline of the Nature, Position etc., of the Beds which have furnished the
Collection of Crag Fossils in the Essex Museum of Natural History," a
valuable little pamphlet, giving the latest aspect of the subject.2
On the present occasion, Mr. WH. Dalton F.G.S., and Mr. T. V. Holmes,
F.G.S, were the "Conductors," and we had also the benefit of the company of
Mr. J. E. Greenhill who had been staying at Walton for some little time.
Unfortunately the stormy weather much restricted the party, which assembled
at about 1 o'clock at the "Royal Albion" Hotel for luncheon. Afterwards
a walk along the foreshore was taken to inspect the sections of the London
Clay and the Crag, but very soon the rain came down and observations had to
be taken under the shelter of umbrellas Mr. Dalton, was, however, able to
demonstrate most points of interest, and a few fossils were collected, although
the wet and "greasy" state of the cliffs rendered climbing somewhat un-
pleasant and at times unsafe. The geological and topographical observations
made are embodied in Mr. Dalton's special report in the present part of the
Essex Naturalist (see pages 217-21). As the afternoon wore on even the
euthusiasts were compelled to beat a retreat to the inn, and to ward off the
damp with a cup of warm tea.
Afterwards an Ordinary Meeting (the 213th) was held, the President
Prof. R. Meldola, in the chair.
The following were elected members of the Club:—Mr. W. H. Ault, Rev.
Henry E. Bird, Rev. Father Clements, Mr. H. W. Lewer, Mrs. Lewer, Mr.
H. T. Malby (F. Roy, Photo. S.) and Mr. Elliott Sparks.
Mr. Picton exhibited a Neolithic Celt found by one of his pupils on the
beach at Clacton. Although Palaeolithic Implements have been found at
Clacton, there appear to be no records of Neolith Celts in that neighbourhood.
A figure of this implement will be given later in our journal.
Mr. Henry Mothersole exhibited a Neolithic Implement from the gravel-
pit in "Admiral's Park" Chelmsford, whence Mr. H. Corder obtained the
fine spear-head many years ago which was recorded and figured in the
"Transactions'' of the Club (Trans. E.F.C., vol. ii, p. 29, pl. ii.) Mr.
Mothersole's implement, with other Neoliths from the neighbourhood of
Chelmsford, will be figured in a future part.
Mr. Mothersole also exhibited and presented to the Museum, a few flint
flakes and "scrapers" gathered that morning on the shore at Walton, from
the spot near which Dr. Laver and Mr. Spalding had found so many
implements (see Essex Naturalist, vol. ii., 187).
A short discussion took place on the subject of the erosion of the East
Anglian coast, and Mr. Holmes read some notes from the British Association
Report on Coast Erosion which he had extracted for the purposes of the
meeting These are embodied in the notes on Coast Erosion in another part
of the present issue (see pp. 221-24).
Towards the evening the ramble was continued along the cliff to the pretty
modern village of Frinton. Mr. Dalton had no difficulty in strikingly demon-
strating his remarks—Frinton has suffered in an extraordinary degree from coast
erosion—the site of the old Frinton Hall lying half-a-mile out at sea, and
2 Essex Field Club Museum Handbooks, No. 4. Price 21/2d. post free.