134 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
I shall now prepare for my London journey forthwith (i.e., collect the
shells for your Society—viz., the Geological—and the British Museum);
and if, in the fitness of things, it so happens, probably you will have no
objection to introduce me to Mr. Gray, whom I should be pleased to
know more about.
I have been upon the qui vive ever since I received your last letter res-
pecting the small Cyrena. It is not very unlikely to find it at Clacton,
although it has escaped my notice, as there is a close relation between that
and the Grays deposit with regard [to] Unio littoralis; but Mr. Searls
Wood can set that matter at rest instanter.
Stanway, Decr. 3rd. 1842.
I have selected a suite of land and freshwater shells from the Pleistocene
deposit at Copford. I have devoted all the time I could spare from my
ordinary concerns to this selection for the British Museum.
I have had no assistance, and some of the shells being very small,
especially those of the Pupa and Vertigo races, I should esteem it a favour
if you would have the goodness to divide them before presentation.
When you see them, I think you will see occasion to alter the list which
you stated Mr. Morris had got of shells from the Pleistocene deposit.
I grant you that this deposit, although not so ancient as those at
Grays and Clacton (which were, doubtless, contemporaneous), still, the
bed from which the whole of these shells were taken is two feet below the
present surface, as before mentioned, and is covered by a bed of clay,
in which are to be seen various pebbles, flints, and nodules of Chalk,
that have been drifted from the "till" after the bed of shells was deposited,
forming a true Pleistocene bed.
All this I shall endeavour to illustrate by a section which I intend
sending or bringing, with a few more shells for the Geological Society,
when I come, about the 13th; although I shall have much to do to accom-
plish it, as the days are short and dark, and many of the shells very small
—so much so, that I have a difficulty in seeing them by candle light.
Stanway, Jan 10th, 1843.
The packages of shells, which I have now sent, have been ready for
some time.
The packet of shells for the British Museum you can present when you
please, after you have looked them over. I am certain that you can im-
prove upon the divisions which I have made, and I should esteem it a
favour if you would have the goodness to do so for me.
Those shells for the Geol. Society you can introduce to the Museum
as you please. I have received one letter of thanks from the Secretary
through your kindness, but you know the routine better than I can inform
you, and I leave it to you.
I did not pay the carriage for this reason: I thought the not paying
in the first instance would insure a certain and sure delivery of the parcel.
I will thank you to pay for me, and I will repay you when I see you, which
I hope will not be long first.
With regard to the corals from the Copford detritus: although there
are many species or varieties, still I cannot find more than one that
corresponds with the crag coral. All the others are dissimilar, that I
have noticed. One coral from the gravel and one from the Suffolk Crag
correspond, but this similarity is confined to structure only, not to external
form.
Stanway, Jan. 27th, 1843.
Please receive my very best thanks for the highly interesting and
5 Corbicula [=Cyrena] fluminalis does occur at Clacton, but it was not recorded from there-
until 1866, when S. V. Wood, jun., incidentally noted that though his father had failed to
find it, the species had been found by the Rev. O. Fisher.