Under Sundridge Park, lower down the valley, the chalk lies deeper, and is there overlaid
by those interesting
"tertiary" conglomerate beds, described by Buckland
and others, containing the Ostrea Bellovacina, Cyrena, Serpulae, etc.; but here, surface ground has sunk into a
cavity below.
Along the watercourse under Camden Park, the
stream is here and there suddenly lessened in volume,
and one may observe the water engulfed on one side
of the bank or the other, in what are termed, in various
parts of the kingdom, swallet- or swallow-holes.
In Camden Park the excavations in the side apertures
of the protruding chalk rock, as they now appear, are of
recent origin.
In May, 1857, a labourer was employed in Camden
Park pit, in cutting chambers in the chalk at right-angles,
and removing chalk for lime-burning; suddenly his
pickaxe entered a mass of dark, soft, pulpy, sandy earth.
On widening the aperture the mass of dark earth appeared
in considerable quantity, and the skull of a large
dog or wolf, with several delicate land shells, rolled with
the mass at his feet.
A few gentlemen visited the spot, and, assisted by careful
labourers, the earth was removed, and well examined,
both in situ and in separation. The first large skull found
was of delicate texture and much shivered. The parts
however were afterwards united, and appearances suggested
the possibility of its being the skull of the Anoplotherium
; competent authorities have, however, suggested
that it is that of the extinct Bos longifrons. Unfortunately
the teeth were wanting, and the sockets were
too much fractured for very accurate judgment.
The accidental pickaxe-blow fortunately entered the base
of the cavity, and this was first explored; the
compact
nature of the earth above allowed this mode of
proceeding. At or near the base were found great |