Formations of the Hampshire Basin. 435 



In 1846 Mr. Searles Wood* gave an excellent account of the 

 upper marine formation of Hordle Cliff, and a list of the shells 

 found by Mr. Fred. Edwards and himself in that stratum, the 

 existence of which had been ovei'looked by previous observers. 

 He likewise described the mammals, i-eptiles, and fishes found 

 by him, and gave a description of these, and a full list of the 

 shells found in the freshwater beds of this locality. 



In 1847 Prof. Owenf described the remains of Palaplotherium 

 and Dichodon, two new genera of the family Palaotheridce, dis- 

 covered by Alex. Pytts Falconer, Esq., near Hordle, and which 

 that gentleman has since presented to the Hunterian Museum. 

 These are the only communications which especially relate to the 

 subject of the present paper, the object of which is to give a stra- 

 tigraphical account of the different beds and the paleeontological 

 contents of the same. 



The strata on this coast have been much denuded ; the beds 

 composing the upper freshwater formation are neai'ly removed, 

 as they have been so likewise to a great extent between Hamp- 

 stead and Headon Hill in the Isle of Wight. The cliffs are co- 

 vered with a bed of drift, composed chiefly of rolled flints and 

 other debris derived from the chalk. The di'ift is disposed in 

 horizontal layers upon the inclined edges of the beds ; its thick- 

 ness in different places varies from 5 to 30 feet. The boulders 

 are loosely cemented together with a matrix of sand and marl. 

 The constant wasting of the cliffs causes the foundering of the 

 drift-bed, and supplies the shore with a superabundance of peb- 

 bles. It is probable that from this source Hurst Beach, in ages 

 past and down to the present time, has derived its constantly 

 increasing beds of shingle, which are washed up along this line of 

 coast by the strong tidal currents and heavy seas that set in from 

 the south-west. 



The strata are described in a descending order, commencing 

 at the east end of Hordle Cliff at a place called Mine-way ; and 

 proceeding towards Beacon and Barton each bed is noted, where 

 it rises on the shore and crops out of the cliff, to which is added 

 a list of its fossil contents. 



The beds rise very uniformly at angles varying from 2' to 5° 

 to the horizon, and incline to the east. Their course is inter- 

 rupted by a considerable denudation at Mead End, and by two 

 small ravines, called " Bunnys,"" = to the term " Chines " in the 

 Isle of Wight, which means a fissure in the cliff produced by 

 streamlets which form the natural drainage of the land. Beacon 

 Bunny separates Hordle from Barton Cliff and Chuton Bunny — 

 the latter from High Cliff. 



* London Geological Journal, pp. 1 and 118. 

 t Quarterly Journal of the Geol. Soc. vol. iv. p. 17. 



28* 



