40 THE ESSEX NATURALIST
4. The shell marls of the Rammey Marsh Stage.
3. The peats of the Boreal-Atlantic periods.
2. Peaty silts of the Nazeing Stage.
1. Gravels of the Ponders End Stage.
c. The more westerly excavation. As stated above, this
provided a section parallel to that already described [Hayward,
1957, p. 38] but it presented some differences. The section is
given in Plate 4. The eastern end merely shows small
lenses of silt comparable with those already described. They
appear to represent isolated patches deposited near the edge of
a meandering stream. Westward, the "M" sub-stage was
found, though the sequence differed from that described from
the site only 100 ft. to the north. At their thickest the beds
seen were as follows :—
3. Peaty shell marls with charophytes 6" to 1' 0"
2. Grey silty clay with rootlets maximum 2' 6"
1. Buff silty clay with rootlets maximum 2' 0"
The lowest two beds varied in thickness individually but were
in the aggregate seen to a thickness of about 3' 6".
It will be realized that the sequence now seen differs from
that examined only 100 ft. to the north. Three beds are still
present of which the third has the biota of "Bed 3" of the pre-
vious paper. The lowest two, however, are not light marls but
silty clays, rather like putty when wet. In appearance they
resemble more the silts of the "D" sub-stage which are seen a
little to the east. The possibility that this depression was lined
with the deposits of this sub-stage was considered and it was
felt that the similarity was not close and moreover the distribu-
tion of the two series was against it. It was more likely that
these buff and grey silts were marginal facies of the "M" beds
and that is the interpretation now given. Both beds appear to
be without shells and the other characteristic fossils of this
sub-stage.
Work will proceed at this site at a later date and it is hoped
that further geological information will become available.