Excursion to the site of the New Museum of Natural History, South Kensington. July 10th, 1875 - 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: Prof. John Morris, F.G.S. (Report by W. H. Hudleston). (Proc. Vol. iv. is. 325.)

Professor Morris and the party were received by Mr. Thos. M. Rickman and Mr. Farquharson, who conducted them over the building now in progress.

Mr. Rickman described the plan of the building at some length, and gave details of the various apartments; after which the members inspected several of the more accessible portions.

The party then adjourned to the excavation now opened in the Thames Valley Gravels, which have, within the area, a maximum thickness of about 20 feet rather towards the eastern end, whilst on the west they are only 7 feet thick. Few organic remains have been discovered but the tooth of an elephant, Elephas primigenius, was found at the west end, almost resting on the London Clay. The party then descended into the most recent excavation in the gravels, which have the usual character of the deposits at a lower level than the Clay belt, which separates them from the Higher Level Gravels. Professor Morris gave a short account of the Quaternary deposits of the Thames Basin.