308 Geological Society. Mr. F. W. Simms on a Section of 



Memoirs ; except that, in his plate, the outer ring is much too broad 

 in proportion ; and also that his subdivision bisects the outer ring. 

 Moreover, the ring is now more obliquely seen than in 1825, and 

 the northern side of it is in view. It is difficult to suppress the un- 

 availing regret that the planet was not, as in that year, at an altitude 

 of about 60°, instead of only 14°; and that the atmosphere of this 

 country is so rarely in a state to do justice to the capabilities of our 

 most powerful and perfect instruments. 



It may be proper to remark, that a record of our observations was 

 entered in Mr. Lassell's journal, both by him and myself, from which 

 the above account has been compiled. 



November 8, 1843. W. R. Dawes. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 [Continued from p. 232.] 



June 7, 1843 (continued). — A paper was read, entitled "Account 

 of a Section of the Strata between the Chalk and the Wealden Clay 

 in the vicinity of Hythe, Kent." By F. W. Simms, Esq., F.G.S. 



The section here described begins on the top of Tolsford Hill, the 

 summit of the chalk escarpment, about 600 feet above the sea at low 

 water, and about two miles immediately north of Hythe. It strikes 

 nearly due south, passing very near to Saltwood Castle, and close to 

 the church at Hythe, and reaches the sea beyond the low ground on 

 the south of that town. This line cuts the strata, which successively 

 rise towards the south from beneath the chalk, nearly at right angles. 



The author, in directing the works of the South-Eastern (Dover) 

 Railway, had caused borings to be made, with a view to the con- 

 struction of one of the principal tunnels on the main line of road, at 

 Saltwood. He afterwards extended his researches upward, for the 

 purpose of illustrating the stratification ; and ultimately sank a 

 shaft, from the bottom of the quarries at Hythe, down to the Weald 

 clay. The account of these operations is illustrated by large sectional 

 drawings, without the aid of which it is difficult to convey a distinct 

 notion of them ; but the following summary includes some of the 

 most important results. 



§ The division of the subcretaceous series adopted by the author is 

 that proposed in the Geol. Trans., 2nd ser. vol. iv. pp. 105-115 ; 

 and his object was to ascertain the thickness, inclination, and general 

 character of the successive groups, in a descending order. He found, 

 however, unexpected difficulty in tracing the different strata to their 

 outcrop, from the interference of ruins fallen from above, and still 

 remaining even on the faces of the escarpments. Thus the top of 

 the Gault was obscured by a mass of subsided chalk, which, if the 

 measure had been taken on the surface, would have caused an error 

 in the thickness of more than 44 feet ; the upper division of the 

 lower greensand would have given 41 feet in excess ; the middle bed 

 would have been diminished by nearly the same amount ; " and the 

 whole of the clay beds between the quarry-rock and the Wealden 

 would altogether have escaped notice, as they are covered by the 



