120
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
The second MS. is a coloured "Section in a Brickfield in the valley
of the River Colne, near Colchester, four miles east of the Copford fresh-
water deposit." The section shows, over London Clay, Coarse Gravel,
7ft., Silt, with Elephas and Rhinoceros, lit., modified Boulder Clay, 16ft.,
Vegetable Soil, 3ft.
These MSS. were formerly in the collection of Joseph Prestwich and
then came into the possession of Horace B. Woodward, by whom they
were given to E. T. Newton, and are now to be preserved, with other
MSS. of John Brown, in the Library of the British Museum of Natural
History at South Kensington.
Mr. Scourfield exhibited and described one of the sulphur-bacteria,
Chromatium okeni, which he had found in September last, in a pond at
Fairmead, Epping Forest, in such profusion as to colour the water crimson.
Mr. Fox exhibited, and presented to the Stratford Museum, some
polished sections of trunks of Holm Oak and Beech. In explanation of
his exhibit, Mr. Fox remarked :—
" The sections of timber exhibited are the Beech (Fagus sylvatica) and
Holm Oak (Quercus Ilex).
" Both these trees came from the front garden of Romford Lodge,
South Street, Romford, for many years the residence of the late Dr.
Wright, Medical Officer for both the Romford Urban and Rural Councils ;
the house was built in the year 1839 and pulled down early this year (1924).
There is little doubt that both these trees were planted a year after the
house was erected, the age of the trees would, therefore, be about 84
years.
" I do not propose to make many observations on the Beech ; the
tree was 35ft. in height, the hole about 15ft., the section being cut 6ft.
from the collar and measuring 4ft. 3m. in circumference.
" The Beech must have had a quieter life than the Holm Oak, it being an
excellent straight specimen ; the Holm Oak, however, received an early
injury and developed a short bole with 4 branches, which in the course
of years attained a circumference of over 3ft. and 13ft. in length, the
bole being at the collar 4ft. 8in. in girth, and 6ft. in length.
" The characteristic of the Holm Oak in full dress is an oval or egg shape
at the crown and this is invariably the case. The sections, both cross and
transverse, are split and the portion of plank shows the same tendency ;
the plank, being full of moisture and not yet seasoned, will not show splitting
as completely as when fully seasoned. I thought at first that this splitting
was due to strain in felling, as frequently happens when trees are
improperly felled.
" I was somewhat puzzled at this, this being my first experience of a felled
Holm Oak, but from enquiries of old and experienced men in the sawing trade.
I learned that this tree is very subject to splitting and it is almost impossible
to obtain a section without this fault. Furthermore, the tree is of no com-
mercial value, the experience of local sawyers being that, when cut into
planks or posts, it splits and in a short time, if exposed to the weather,
rots away.
" The cross section has a circumference of 4ft. and the transverse section
4ft. 4m."