13
THE NON-MARINE MOLLUSCA OF THE RIVER
LEA ALLUVIUM AT WALTHAMSTOW,
ESSEX.
By A. S. KENNARD, M. Malac. Soc, and B. B. WOODWARD, F.L.S., F.G.S.
[Read December 6th, 1902.]
THE extensive excavations for new reservoirs for the East
London Water Company that have lately been made in
the Lea Valley, near Walthamstow, furnished a magnificent
opportunity for collecting from the Holocene deposits, which are
only exposed in chance excavations. Application was made to
the contractors, Messrs. S. Pearson and Sons, for permission to
visit the works, and this was at once granted. We would take
this opportunity of thinking them and the following gentlemen
FIG. 1.—SECTION IN NEW RESERVOIRS, WALTHAMSTOW, ABOUT 100 YARDS
Showing lenticular bed of Shell-marl resting on Peat, and covered by the Clay forming
the surface. Gravel at the base. (T. V. Holmes.)
for facilities in visiting the sections, and for other assistance:—
Mr. W. Cole, Mr. W. Whitaker, F.R.S., Mr. C. W. Sharrock,
Colonel Bryan, Mr. J. P. Johnson, and especially Mr. W. Traill.
Repeated visits have been made, and an immense amount of
material has passed through our hands. The sections have
already been described by Mr. T. V. Holmes,1 and as may be
seen by reference to this paper, a twofold division of the beds is
always present, an upper peaty or loamy bed sometimes con-
taining Shell-marl and a lower bed of Gravel.
The gravel contained no fossils except where it was obviously
re-deposited. There can be no doubt that the peaty beds,
which varied from 3 to 10 feet in thickness, represent the whole
of the Holocene deposits, and are the equivalent of the 60 feet of
alluvium met with in the Thames valley at Tilbury, whilst the
bottom gravel may be correlated with the third terrace of the
1 Consult "Geological Notes on the New Reservoirs in the Valley of the Lea, near
Walthamstow." E.N. Vol. XII., pp. 1-16, and ''Additional Notes" on the same in E.N.
Vol. XII., pp., 224-231.