61 



mind of tlio Great Creator, of which it is the image. If man wei'c 

 to Avithhold his tribute of praise, to speak figuratively, " These 

 very stones woukl cry out to his slumie." Tlie araiuouites were au 

 extensive genus, iucliiding the straight and stick like Baculitcs ; 

 twisted ]iook like llaniites ; Scaphites, from the fancied resem- 

 blance to an ancient boat Avith recurved prow and stern ; and tower- 

 like Turrilites We are indebted to Mr. Price fot a most ably scien- 

 tific paper on this formation, publiskod iu t!ie proceedings of 

 the G. S. vol. 30— 1871— p. 340., who divides the Gault at Copt 

 Point into eleven zones. Number one the lowest, or junction 

 bed with the Lower Greensancl, commences with a band of iron 

 pyrites, then comes a dark greensand seam with two lines of 

 phosphatic nodules. The fossils of this zone are broken and 

 rolled, and many of them glitter with spicules of seleuite. 

 Number two zone, -which may reall}' be considered the bottom 

 bed of tho Gault, is remarkable for its dark colour, and bj' con- 

 trast the metallic brilliancy of its fossils. Mr. Price says that 

 this is tho only bed iu which selenite occurs in large pieces. 

 Number three zone, which commences about fifteen feet from 

 tho Folkestone beds, is sometimes called the ' ' light or Crab 

 bod " from being a buff colour and containing the remains of 

 crustaceans. Mr. Hudlestone gives an analysis of the clay iron- 

 stone nodules which occur in it, as thirty per cent, of metallic 

 iron. TJie next or fourth zone contains few fossils, but some 

 nodules rich iu phos})hate of lime amonnting in some specimens 

 to fifty-five per cent, of triealcic phosphate. The fifth zone is 

 called the " coral bed." It is of a dark colour only, about 

 eighteen inches thick, and is distinguished by some peculiar 

 light coloured markings. Passing over the sixth and seventh 

 zones, which are not remarkable so far as their mineral character 

 is concerned, we arrive at the upper zone of the Lower Gaiilt or 

 number eight, at about thirty feet from the base of the forma- 

 tion, known as the "nodule bed," which is not more than ten 

 inches in thickness. Number nine is taken as the base bed of 

 the Upper Gault at about forty- five feet, the clay here changes 

 to a very^ light colour, and is well distinguished by the shells 

 and casts of the luoceramus sulcatus mIucIi are generally found 

 in a flattened out condition from the pressure of the supei'in- 

 cumbcut beds. Mr. Price designates this as the zone of the 

 Ammonites varicosus which, together with the Inoceramns 

 sulcatus, will enable the geologist to take his bearings, as the 

 sailors say, and determine his position when -working at this 

 vei-y frequently brce/}^ headland. The last mentioned fossil 

 is so peculiar that when once seen its form is not likely 

 to be forgotten. In the tenth zone the gault becomes of a 

 very light colour, partaking more of the nature of a 

 marl than of a clay, as it contains over twenty-six 



