674 Lower Freshwater Formation in Isle of Wight. 



SHORT COMMUNICATIONS. 



Lower freshwater formation in the Isle of Wight. — In the 

 latter part of last May, accompanied by my friend Mr. White, 

 I paid a visit to Headon Hill, in the Isle of Wight, where ex- 

 tensive excavations then in progress enabled us to observe the 

 strata immediately overlying the thick bed of white sand 

 which is cut by the high- water mark. A deep excavation 

 had been made at a spot nearly opposite the Warren Cot- 

 tage, which extended a considerable distance into the base of 

 the hill ; much of the superincumbent sands and marls had 

 necessarily been removed, to prevent the mixture with, and 

 consequent deterioration of, the white sands beneath. This 

 offered a favorable opportunity for examining the inferior beds 

 of the lower freshwater formation of that district, which are 

 usually so covered up by the talus of the upper marine and 

 upper freshwater formation, as to render an examination of 

 them extremely difficult and unsatisfactory. We therefore 

 seized this favourable opportunity of placing upon record the 

 nature of the stratification of this highly interesting portion of 

 Headon Hill, while the section was yet fresh and unsullied 

 by the action of the weather ; and commencing our measure- 

 ments from the upper surface of the great bed of white sand, 

 and proceeding upwards, we found them to be as follows. — 



Yellow sand , 9 inches. 



Lignite 7 



Grey marl passing into black at bottom 46 



White sand, passing into yellow at bottom 45 



Lignite 2 



Greenish clay with veins of sand 135 



Lignite 2 



Grey sand 9 



Covered up by talus from above , 84 



Grey clay 72 



Ash grey sand , 124 



Ash grey clay 60 



Above this latter stratum for 10 feet, the strata were so much 

 hidden by the talus from above, as to render examination 

 quite uncertain in its results ; but at about this height we 

 found the lowest of the bands of freshwater limestone abound- 

 ing in Lymnea, Planorbis, &c. 



The whole of the beds enumerated were carefully examined 

 for fossil remains ; but excepting in the third bed above the 

 white sand, designated as " grey marl passing into black at 

 bottom," where we found a few fragments of bone, apparently 

 those of turtles, — and in the beds of lignite, where very ob- 



