II. On the Genuineness of certain Fossils from the Macclesfield Drift-beds

Abstract

At the last meeting of the Society, Mr. Plant made statements respecting the supply of so-called fossil shells from the Drift at Macclesfield, of a striking and curious character: he warned geologists against certain specimens, on the grounds that some were only recent shells sold as fossils, and others, though bearing the appearance of Drift-fossils, were not only spurious as such form Macclesfield, but were not even fossils at all, being nothing but the results of an elaborate system of importation and manufacture: forgeries, in fact, to meet a new demand. Mr. Plant allowed that some of these frauds were well calculated to deceive even geologists, and quoted a statement that they had been successful at the Museums of London, Liverpool, and Manchester. Besides the simple introduction of recent shells, he specially reported a process of fecthing such shells from recent beaches at Liverpool, Southport, or Ireland (even the use of West Indian African shells), the breaking-up of the same, and the subjection of the fragments to fire or acid, and a subsequent treatment by friction in a basket with gravel, ‘to give them the true Drift-character and the necessary redtinge.’