^nfome nmarkahle Si rat a '^cf Flint; . 105- 



Urata of (lone, at Eaft Cowcs, and jnft above a bed of- black and 

 folid clay, is a ftratum of fliells about two feet thick, of which a 

 fpecimen accompanies this, and which is totally compofed of thefe 

 ihells without any admixture or earth whatever. As the fea makes 

 great inroads here, vaft heaps of thefe fliells lie on the beach, and"" 

 feem juft waflied up by the waves, inftead of being torn from their 

 bed in the clifF. They appearnearly in the fame ftate as thofe on the 

 Hamplliire coaft, wliich have long been famous among naturalifts. 

 In the bed at EaO: Cowes there appears however no variety; for I 

 could fee no fpecies but what arc here exhibited. 



Whatever confufion in the ftrata appears to the north of the 

 chalk range, or in that range itfelf, difappears to the fouth of it^* 

 where the flrata are nearly in a horizontal pofition, and fingu-. 

 larly regular and undifturbed. The fea coafl from Bembridge fouth 

 to the Needles, except in the Ihiall extent of Sandown Marfh, is. 

 every where higher than the immediately contiguous land of the 

 ifland, and to the fouth-caft rifcs into a vail: range of hills running, 

 from Dunnofe weft to St. Catherine's. The fubftratum of thefe 

 hills feems every where to be clay lying in ftrata of different colour 

 and purity. The low^eft is black and very hard; approaching to 

 ihale. Above this fome ftrata have a great mixture of fand, and 

 take the appearance of a foft ftone breaking into very regular 

 cubical forms. Thefe ftrata extend over the whole fouthern part 

 of the ifland, and terminate againft the chalk range very fuddenly.' 

 Above the clay flrata is a bed of Qlowq m thin layers, and oi ^^^Y. 

 mingled materials, but in general very hard. Great quantities of 

 chert or flint nodules appear in this ftone. The general thicknefs 

 of the flratum is from 150 to 200 ic^t. Above this the highefl 

 hills of the range have a ftratum of chalk, not pure or white as 

 that of the chalk range properly fo called, nor produciiig flint fo 

 ^iack. 



Vol. VL P ' The' 



