4 The Marchioness of Hastings on the Tertiary Beds 



ment of these small bands was the end of the upper marine, 

 or — 



Stratum 2, which is now nearly worked out, as it does not 

 continue in a horizontal direction, so that unless previously 

 known, it would be very difficult to find it in its original posi- 

 tion. Its depth was from 10 to 12 inches. It rose with the 

 first stratum and lasted for about 300 yards. I myself have but 

 a si mm 1 1 portion of the shells found here, as now they are difficult 

 to be met with; and though I do possess shells from every 

 stratum, my collection has been chiefly confined to the remains 

 of the Vertebrata. I see in a list copied from Mr. Edwards and 

 Wood, Limnea and Planorbis put down as found here. I have 

 never found or even seen one of these shells from this bed, which 

 is a true marine one. It consists of light yellow sand. The 

 band mentioned as occurring at the top of the first stratum 

 comes in after this disappears, and is undoubtedly freshwater. 

 Among the commoner shells in this bed may be mentioned 

 Cerithium cinctum, Neritina concava, Fusus labiatus, Melania 

 fasciata and costata, Melanopsis ancillaroides, Natica depressa, 

 and Cyrena obovata. 



Stratum 3 is from 4 to 5 feet in thickness. It is composed 

 of a lilac or gray clay with bands of buff. Very narrow bands 

 of lignite traverse this bed ; the thickest occurs about 4 or 5 

 inches' above its base. Its chief characteristic are the layers of 

 Unio Solandri, which begin about 4 inches from the top, and go 

 on increasing in numbers to nearly the end of the bed. They 

 are in beautiful preservation, though from their brittle nature it 

 is very difficult to get them out in a perfect state. Associated 

 with these are Paludina lenta, and principally towards the bottom 

 of the bed Melania polygyra occurs. 



Within a foot from the base, about 4 inches apart, are two 

 layers of Melanise in a very perfect state ; and resting on the 

 green clay which forms the next stratum, is a bed of seeds of 

 Carpolithes, &c, with but few of the shells which occur in the 

 preceding layers ; Paludina lenta being the principal, as well as 

 Potamides cinctus. 



No remains of vertebrata are found here. 



Stratum 4 varies from 10 to 12 feet, though it is generally 

 very level. It is composed of a green marly clay, traversed by 

 sandy seams. The clay is darkest at top and bottom, and 

 becomes more sandy in the middle. The sandy seams contain 

 Paludina lenta and Potamomya plana very much crushed ; re- 

 mains of fish, and very rarely Serpents' vertebrae, fish scales, and 

 small teeth of Mammals undescribed, with also very small jaws. 

 I have a large calcaneum found here, the only large bone that 

 has ever been met with. The last foot of this stratum contains 



