Geological Society, 63 



of the Society, to resume the chair, and fill it with that uninterrupted 

 regularity which it is His Royal Highness's mobt anxious wish to ob- 

 serve, in whatever duty he undertakes. 



** Ever, my dear Sir, faithfully yours, 



** John George Children. 



" P.S. — His Royal Highness requests you will in his name bid the 

 Fellows heartily farewell till he meets them again in November." 



" Francis Baily, Esq., V.P. R.S," 



The Society then adjourned over the long vacation, to meet again 

 on the 20th of November. 



GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



November 19th. — A paper was first read, entitled *' An Account 

 of the raised Beach, near Hope's Nose, in Devonshire, and other 

 recent Disturbances in that Neighbourhood," by Alfred Cloyne 

 Austen, Esq., F.G.S. 



The ancient beach near Hope's Nose, noticed by Mr. Greenough 

 in his geological map, is situated a little within the point of land so 

 called, and rests upon a mass of transition limestone containing thin 

 beds of shells. The distance between the ordinary line of high wa- 

 ter and the lowest part of the deposit, is about 31 feet: its extent 

 east and west is not more than 50 feet; and its thickness is 17 feet. 

 How far it extends inland cannot be easily determined, as it is co- 

 vered, in that direction, by an accumulation of detritus fallen from 

 the neighbouring hill. 



The deposit varies much in texture and composition. The lowest 

 portion is a coarse conglomerate, containing blocks of considerable 

 size ; above this the grain becomes finer and the organic remains, 

 consisting of shells of recent species, occur in greatest abundance. 

 A little higher the particles are still finer, forming an exceedingly 

 hard and compact stone, in which frequently the casts only of the 

 shells are found. Jn the upper portion the beds are less compact, 

 and at the highest they consist of uncemented sand, like that of a 

 recent beach. The greater part of the deposit is formed from grau- 

 wacke rocks, but fragments of trap also occur, and in the lowest 

 part chalk flints. On the weathered surface, the harder beds pro- 

 ject in thin shelves, but of sufficient strength to support a man. 



A deposit which encircles the Thatcher rock, about three quarters 

 of a mileS.S.W. of Hope's Nose, presents the same characters. These 

 are the only instances which the author could discover of a raised 

 beach on this part of the coast. The preservation of the deposits, 

 he considers, is owing to their resting on masses of limestone, and 

 that the abrupt terminations which the beach at Hope's Nose 

 presents towards the east and west, are proofs that it was once more 

 extensive. 



Watcombe Fault. — The author premises his observations on the 

 Watcombe fault by stating, that any section of the new red sand- 

 stone of South Devon will present innumerable lines of disturbance, 

 and that attention to these will show they have been the origin of 

 the hills and valleys of the district j though all superficial evidence 

 of their existence has been destroyed by their being rounded ofl'. 



