xxxviii Journal of Proceedings.
floor was visible. In view of the number of visitors present (the bulk of
the party came down by the 2.27 train from Fenchurch Street to Grays)
it was impossible to usefully make more than a very superficial examina-
tion of the conical mound of debris, under which some traces of the
original owners of the pits might be found. We noted some bones of rats,
rabbits, dogs and foxes. The rabbits and rats had made burrows in the
fallen sand, and the deep striative marks of claws on the sides of the base
of the shaft told a sickening story of the lingering death of many a poor
dog. A large number of sticks and stems were littered about the floors ;
and Mr. Worthington Smith observed that these supported a good crop of
fungoid life, both in the form of dense mycelium, and the more perfect
state of Corticium and other fungi.
No worked flints were discovered in the pits themselves, but around the
mouths and in the fields adjacent many flint " flakes" and " cores" were
picked up. In the immediate neighbourhood of the pits Mr. Smith found
a small, well-made Neolithic flint-knife, with secondary working on both
sides ; length 21/8 inches, width 1 inch.
The rival theories as to the purpose of the Dene-holes were discussed
during the few minutes that remained after the usual Club tea, admirably
served by the attentive and obliging host and hostess of the " King's Arms
Hotel," Grays.
The President said the chief business they had to transact was to
record their thanks to the several gentlemen who had so kindly given
their assistance; to their conductors, Mr. Spurrell, Mr. Holmes, and
Mr. Walker ; and to Mr. Biddell for permission to explore the holes in
Hangman's Wood. The proceedings had also been helped very much by
the great courtesy which they had met from Messrs. Brooks, Shoobridge &
Co., the admirable arrangements they had made for the Club having
enabled them to examine these Dene-holes with ease and safety. He
moved a vote of thanks to those gentlemen for their assistance. [Applause.]
There were a few moments left before moving to the station, and he
thought that the subject of Dene-holes was so interesting that they ought
not to let the matter entirely drop. He was sorry to say that Mr. Spurrell
had been obliged to leave, but they still had Mr. Holmes, Mr. Walker, and
Mr. Worthington Smith with them, and would be glad to hear any
remarks they had to make on the subject of the afternoon's explorations.
Mr. Holmes said he had been very much interested in their day's
examination. He thought the Society was doing an excellent work in
calling attention to these Dene-holes, because a year or two ago their
existence was almost entirely unknown to the scientific public. He had
noticed on the part of geologists a reluctance to admit the existence of
any holes except for the purpose of obtaining chalk or flint. Those holes
which they had seen were clearly not for that purpose, for though there
were broad stretches of chalk close by, the makers had chosen to go
through between 50 and 60 feet of Thanet sand first, which they would
hardly have done to get chalk or flint. Curiously enough the strata at