THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
109
was presented to the Hackney Borough Library. A visit was paid to the
Library in order to inspect the collection, under the guidance of Mr.
Arthur Wrigley, who had arranged it in the cases, and our President,
Mr. W. Whitaker, F.R.S., and Mr. Hazzledine Warren.
Unfortunately but few specimens bear any indication of their locality,
and this detracts somewhat from their scientific value.
Perhaps the chief interest was found in a series of about 150 palaeo-
lithic implements, believed to have been found in North-East London.
They are all of the types that have been usually met with in this locality.
In the absence of any record of the precise situation where they were
found, it has been deemed best to arrange them according to the method
of classification employed by French archaeologists. The greater number
of these Palaeoliths are of Chellean type, the series starting with a char-
acteristic group of greatly rolled and deeply patinated specimens.
Attention was drawn to a "chopping-tool" of unusual type, with a semi-
circular cutting-edge, and unworked back ; and also to a fine "ficron"
or pick measuring ni inches in length, with an unworked back. Another
group is of S. Acheul type, the flaking being finer and the cutting edge
rendered straight by secondary chipping. Mr. Hazzledine Warren pointed
out that a flat, triangular specimen, with a whitish patina, was of a type
commonly found in the bed of the Thames.
Mr. Wrigley has recently obtained a few specimens from a gravel-pit
at Temple Mills (near Leyton), and has placed them in the collection.
The gravel is at a low level (15 feet O.D.), and is covered by alluvium.
It has yielded a few derived Palaeoliths, and teeth of Equus and Bos.
Opinions were divided as to whether a series of concave scrapers from the
same place, which have an Eolithic appearance, were of human workman-
ship or not. It is hoped that a visit may be paid to this pit, which affords
an extensive section of alluvium with an old marsh level and roots of
plants, and low level gravel resting on (?) Woolwich beds.
The Neolithic series includes a fine flint knife (?Danish), numerous
flakes and scrapers, a few celts (both rough and polished), and an unusual
dagger or spear-head. This is of circular section and appears to have been
intended for hafting : its patina is of a brown colour, unusual in Neo-
lithic specimens. The bronze celts afford a good illustration of the evolu-
tion by types. One of them exhibits rudimentary wings, produced by
hammering. Three socketed celts are from Clavering.
The organic remains from the drift include mammalian teeth, and
mollusca. Among the latter were noticed Corbicula fluminalis from
Crayford gravel, mollusca from the Alluvium of the Lea, found during
the excavations for reservoirs at Lea Bridge in 1834, and a very large
Unio from the brick earth.
The collection of English fossils contains many interesting specimens
whose "provenance" is unfortunately unknown. Among these may be
mentioned a perfectly complete Rostellaria macroptera (Barton Beds),
and two large groups of palatal teeth of Ptychodus.
Mr. W. Whitaker pointed out that the teeth of fishes from the Norwich
('rag and Cambridge Greensand are difficult to obtain now, as the deposits
are almost worked out.
The upper shelves of the cases contain same pottery, mostly of mediaeval
date.