Chalk Formation of Denmark. 59 



bed of flint some perturbations begin. The beds appear on the 

 perpendicular section of the cliff in curved lines, bent in every 

 direction. This increases towards the upper surface of the 

 chalk, which at an average is about ten feet distant from the 

 large bed of flint, but by no means parallel to it. It represents 

 an undulating surface, which in some places seems to cut the 

 irregular small beds of flint, and thus seems to announce that 

 the surface is not in its original state, but more or less altered 

 by powers unconnected with its formation. This, however, 

 remains still doubtful, on account of the irregular depositions 

 of the upper beds of the real chalk, and may also be well ex- 

 plained by the original irregularities, without supposing a de- 

 struction some time posterior to the deposition of the chalk. 

 Before I proceed to describe the following bed, I must say a few 

 words about the fossils of this chalk, which are not so very com- 

 mon. Remains of Alcyonia and other sponge-like animals, 

 seem to be the most frequent and characteristic fossils of this 

 stratum ; they are partly converted into flint, partly into py- 

 rites. A Terebratula, an indetermined bivalve, Ananchytes 

 ovata, Flustra, Eschara, occur. Several different corals, mostly 

 in a broken state, occur likewise. 



The undulating surface of the chalk is covered by a thin 

 bed (to the utmost of six inches thickness,) of a bituminous 

 clay, which contains in the vicinity of the chalk much pyrites 

 and carbonate of lime. Of fossils a Zoophyte has been found, 

 the teeth of a Squalus, a Pecten, and impressions of an undeter- 

 mined bivalve. Some slight traces of impressions of leaves are 

 met with. This bed occurs in most places of the cliff. Where 

 it disappears as a bed, it has dispersed itself through the up- 

 per part of the chalk, in small veins, of a line in thickness. 

 By the decomposition of the pyrites, the whole assumes the 

 appearance of an iron-ochre ; and in this state it is met with 

 about twelve English miles from the cliff at Herfolge, but 

 exactly in the same geognostical position as on the cliff it- 

 self. 



Upon this bed a limestone follows, which differs considera- 

 bly from the chalk. It is hard, yellowish- white, divided into 

 large granular masses. It is a little sonorous. It passes, how- 

 ever, both into chalk and into the following rock, and resem- 



