140 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Stanway, March 23rd, 1844.
As I am indebted to you principally for my correspondence with
your friend Mr. Wm. Harris, of Charing, and also for the kind assistance
which I have received from that gentleman in obtaining some fossils from
the Kentish deposits, I beg to inform you that I am now contemplating a
visit to him, by invitation, the early part of next month (April).
At your leisure, I should esteem it a favour if you could inform me
whether Professor Forbes has received a parcel containing some fossil
Foraminifera from Mr. I. D. C. Sowerby, which I left in the latter gentle-
man's hands some time ago. The last time I was in town, he said he should
send them to me, but as you stated to me that Professor Forbes wished
to see some of the Foraminifera from our coralloid ground, I sent him a
few species and at the same time wrote to Mr. Sowerby to send to Professor
Forbes those he has, which I left in his hands for figuring, instead of sending
them to me. Mr. S. has not written to me, and whether he has sent
them to Prof. Forbes, of course, I cannot tell. When Mr. S. first saw
these fossils, he states thay were new, and ought to be figured; but subse-
quently he has altered his mind, and I shall be glad to submit them to
the notice of the Professor.
I have recently obtained a fragment of a canine jaw, containing the
last molar, very perfect, with part of another. I think it will prove to
be that of the Bear. I have no doubt that your adroitness could restore
the whole jaw on paper in a very short time. I am getting a mould made
of it, and shall send a cast to our excellent friend, Mr. Charlesworth, and
any other friends wishing for one. This specimen was dredged up at sea,
off our coast. It is charged with iron pyrites, extremely heavy, and the
fossil bears marks of very high antiquity.
Stanway, Nov. 10th, 1844.
I think it probable that I may see you before long, and then I will
bring you the Terebratula, and anything else that you may want. In the
mean-time, I send you a little rough sketch of the geology of the Essex coast
from St. Osyth point to Harwich, and at the same time to ask you if you
will have the goodness to make an enlarged one to illustrate those points
where the recent shells lie in beds several feet above the present high
water mark. I have collected from the several localities all the species
I could find.
The bed of shells in the Colne valley will be the most difficult for you
to sketch, as it lies ten miles from the ocean, although only about 500 or
600 yards from the River Colne on its western side. But what appeal's
to me to be a difficulty does not to you. Probably you [will] think proper
to make a. sketch by itself of the valley and the bed of shells by the side
of the Colne, but I shall be glad to have you to do as you please with it.
You will save me a little time, if your other affairs will admit of your doing
it for me, and I shall esteem it a favour and be much your debtor.
The geological feature of the valley could be represented without
giving a picture of the valley. I do not know that the latter is needful,
but I shall be very glad to have your opinion if there is any difficulty.
I am very sorry to say that our friend Hall is not clear of his difficulties
yet. I went to his sale of books, and saw him and his young wife. It
must have been a singular infatuation that induced him to chose such a
time for marrying. He is now in search of a situation in some Museum.
He says he will be satisfied with £100 a year. Do you know of any situation
that would suit him? If you do, I am sure you would inform him or me.
Stanway, Decr. 8th, 1844.
That part of your letter received this morning very much surprised
me where you say that the "Paper was read last Wednesday evening,"