Excursion to Belvidere. April 29th, 1871 - Geologists' Association excursion

From: A record of excursions made between 1860 and 1890. Edited by Thomas Vincent Holmes , F.G.S. and C. Davies Sherborn, F.G.S. London: Edward Stanford [For the Geologists’ Association], 1891. Source: Cornell University copy on the Internet Archive (Public domain work)

Director—Professor J. Morris, F.G.S. (Proc. Vol. ii. p. 229).

The object of this excursion was mainly to afford members of the Association an opportunity of inspecting the fine collection of Mammalian Remains in the possession of F. C. J. Spurrell, F.G.S.

Professor Morris described this interesting collection in his usual happy manner. Almost all the specimens have been obtained from the Pleistocene fluviatile deposits of the immediate neighbourhood of Erith and Crayford. When, therefore, in this Museum there are found remains of three species of elephant, three species of rhinoceros, and species of lion, bear, hyena, horse, and ox, we are forcibly reminded of the abundance of the larger animals, both Carnivora and FIerbivora, with which the country surrounding London was peopled in pre-historic times. This collection is interesting, moreover, on account of the evidence it affords of great climatic alternations, for it contains species both of warm and cold climates—the lion of the Tropics and the Ovibos moschatus of the Arctic Zone.

Many species of Mollusca which are now living in England have been found fossil in this locality together with Corbicula [Cyrena] fluminalis, which is not now living in the British area, but is found in the Nile. Additional interest is given to this part of Kent by the existence of numerous caves or excavations in the Chalk. These curious and obscure cavities are locally termed deneholes.