232 Proceedings of PhUosopJucal Societies, [March, 



corals, echinites, &c. Below this» stratum appear in the under 

 part of the hill between Tonoues and Benerville, but the best 

 section is afforded by the Vaches Noires cliffs, where the blue 

 marl or clay, agreeing in its geological position with the Oxford 

 clay, attains the thickness of about 300 feet. It exhibits various 

 organic remains, among which are a fossil crocodile described 

 'by Cuvier, bones of the plesiosaurus, a fossil fish, septaria, 

 ammonites, &c. 



From Dives to St. Come, the coast is flat and sandy, with the 

 exception of some low cliffs of forest marble between Lyon and 

 I^uc. From St. Come to St. Laurent, the calcareous sandstone 

 with chert seams that accompanies the inferior oolite, is seen 

 Terming the top of the cliffs, rising gradually to the westward 

 as far as St. Honorine, and thence ascending to the NNW. 

 From Vierville to Grand Camp, the entire cliffs are composed of 

 .calcareous sandstone with chert ; and the blue lias is conse- 

 quently below the level of the sea. 



The inferior oolite may be traced inland in a south-easterly 

 direction from between Maisy and Isigny, in the neighbourhood 

 of Bayeux, where it appears to rest upon quartz or gravel beds 

 of the new red sandstone formation. From Bayeux to within 

 three or four miles eastward of Villers, it rests upon lias ; and 

 from thence upon argillaceous slate and greywacke to between 

 Thury-Harcourt and St. Laurent de Condel. 



The first appearance of the lias eastward on the coast is 

 between St. Come and Arromanche, under the calcareous sand- 

 stone with chert seams. From hence to St. Honorine, the lias 

 occupies the lower part of the cliffs. At the latter place, it 

 forms a curve, and dips NNW, disappearing to the W. of St. 

 Laurent. In the interior, it may be traced in a south-easterly 

 direction from Isigny to Villers, and beyond, a small portion of it 

 is found resting upon argillaceous slate, until it becomes hidden 

 iinder the inferior oolite. Between Isigny and Carenton, and 

 between Carenton and the neighbourhood of Lestre, it consti- 

 tutes the elevated ground behind the alluvial fiat which separates 

 the hills from the sea, and extends a considerable distance into 

 the interior. At the last mentioned point, it rests upon the new 

 red sandstone formation which appears on no other portion of 

 the coast. The lias of this part of France precisely resembles 

 that of the south of England, and contains similar organic 

 remains. 



In the department of Calvados, gravel beds, composed of 

 rounded pebbles of quartz, constitute the most abundant strata 

 of the new red sandstone formation, being associated with beds 

 of silicious sand, of a whitish colour for the most part, and occa- 

 sionally joined with red marl. 



From Bayeux to Villers, the lias rests upon these gravel beds. 

 In the department of La Manche, the new red sandstone occu- 

 pies a considerable tract of country in the vicinity, and to tlie 



