THE FOLK LORE OF BIRDS IN RELATION TO ESSEX. 63
sandy loam. Some of the material is of intermediate character; it
contains a small proportion of sand, but a large proportion of quartz
in such very small particles that the specimens would best be described
as a "coarse clayey silt."
The Alluvium proper is sticky and resists disintegration, the coarse
clayey silt in its behaviour towards water resembles that of serviceable
brick-earth.
The broad conclusion I have reached is that all the crude red pottery
submitted to me was made from coarse clayey silt rather than from a sandy
loam. The "briquetage (b)" certainly contains fewer sand grains than
the "domestic ware (c)," but I should not like to emphasise the difference.
Technique Involved in the Manufacture of the "Briquetage"
Ware (b).
The briquetage presents a striated appearance, quartz grains large
enough to be termed "sand" are absent. The red portion of the material
is extremely brittle, especially in a direction parallel to the striae. The
latter present an appearance which could be formed by rolling clay paste
into a very thin sheet, covering with finely chopped chaff or similar
material, laying several sheets on each other and again rolling out into
thin sheets.7
The general appearance indicates a burning temperature of about
900°C, but the softness and brittleness suggests a much lower tem-
perature (600oC). The intensity and uniformity of colour of the red
portion of the material are rather inconsistent with under-firing. They
and the presence of minute vitrified portions (well-distributed) suggest a
properly fired material and that the weakness is due to the admixture of
vegetable matter which was destroyed in the firing.
In conclusion, I am glad to take this opportunity of offering
my sincere thanks to those who have aided me with expert
advice (in addition to those whose names appear in the body
of the text): to Mr. C. F. C. Hawkes of the British Museum,
Mr. G. C. Dunning of the Royal Commission of Antiquities, and
the Curators and their Assistants at Colchester and Prittlewell
Museums.
THE FOLK LORE OF BIRDS IN RELATION
TO ESSEX.
By WILLIAM E. GLEGG, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.
[Read 30th November, 1940.]
THIS contribution to the subject has as its purpose the
presentation of a framework or foundation to facilitate
and encourage additions to and further exploration of this
7 It is of interest in this connection to recall the fact that several objects of burned clay
thought to be moulding tools suitable for pressing out sheets of clay were found on the Canvey
sites, see Essex Naturalist, Vol. XXVI, Part III, p. 153, Ibid., Part V, p. 271. E. L.