The Chalk Range. 275 



bably about five yards in the mile, and are covered by dilu- 

 vium of varying thickness. 



The thickness of the chalk in this county has been but 

 recently ascertained, as appears from a communication to the 

 Geological Society by John Taylor, Esq. It states that a 

 well has been sunk at Diss by Mr. Thomas Lombe Taylor, 

 and the following is the order and thickness of the beds pene- 

 trated : 



1. Clay 50 ft. 



2. Sand 50 



S. Chalk without flints, soft and of a marly nature 100 



4. Chalk with flints in layers of single stones \ « 



distant about a yard from each other ... J 



5. Gray chalk, with an occasional layer of white 1 ro 



chalk, and free from flints J 



6. Light bright blue chalk approaching to clay,"\ ~ 



with white chalk-stones J 



7. Sand • •• 5 



615* 

 No. 6. must be gault ; and 7. the lower green-sand* 



The general surface of the chalk must have suffered prodi- 

 gious abrasions from the violence of the elements, as evidenced 

 by the immense quantity of gravel formed and collected in 

 various situations, as well as by the different altitudes at which 

 the chalk is found, it appearing immediately beneath the ve- 

 getable soil, even on the highest ground ; and at a level not 

 less than fifty feet lower, it may be found covered by more 

 than 150 feet of sand and clay containing boulders. 



I shall describe the chalk strata under the natural divisions, 

 « Chalk without Flints' and « Chalk with Flints'. 



Chalk without Flints. — Under this denomination I include 

 all the lower cretaceous beds. At Hunstanton Cliff, where 

 they are exposed, reposing immediately upon the red chalk 

 (as it has hitherto been called), three natural divisions of 

 them may be observed ; the lowest is made up almost entirely 

 of a ramose zoophite, which strongly characterizes it; the 

 middle above has a gray colour and arenaceous texture, 

 abounds in organic remains ; the gray shale forcibly distin- 

 guishes this ; and the uppermost bed, usually denominated 

 the lower chalk, which here forms the upper portion of the 

 cliff, is readily distinguished by its pure whiteness. It has 

 been attempted to separate and arrange these beds by their 

 zoological characters ; the zoophytic bed has been considered 



* Proceedings of Geol. Society, vol. ii. p. 93. 



2 N 2 



