Fossil Bones on the Coast of East Norfolk. 133 



to be readily injured by attrition, are sometimes accumulated 

 in considerable quantities. Many of the nodules having been 

 spUt into laminae by the operations of the air, moisture or frost, 

 are again united by a cement of hard ferruginous sand ; and 

 in this state some of the fossils and bones are discovered. 



The most numerous organic substances here are those of 

 vegetable origin, in various degi'ees of preservation and mine- 

 ralization, from the state of black and rotten peat wood to that 

 of a ponderous iron-stone, somewhat flattened by pressure, as 

 I believe is the case with all fossil wood. When any portion 

 of this stratum is exposed horizontally on the beach, fragments 

 of oak-wood several feet long are often uncovered by the waves. 

 It is probable that the bed containing this wood extends along 

 the coast, below the level of the sea, much more to the south 

 than Happisburgh ; for large masses in all stages of preserva- 

 tion are continually thrown up on tlie beach as low down as 

 Caister, Winterton, and Palling. We should even be correct 

 in stating it to be an extension of the well-loiown stratum at 

 W^atton-cliff and Harwich. The part of the Norfolk coast 

 where it is most conspicuous, is at Overstrand, about three 

 miles south of Cromer. Here some small springs of chaly- 

 beate water ooze out of the feiTuginous bed before noticed, 

 imparting to the pebbles of the beach and to the waters left by 

 the tide a strong tinge of bright brown or red. Here and 

 there are scattered heavy nodules of" radiated pyrites, which 

 are brilliant when broken, and of the colour of brass ; and 

 a. strong sulphurous smell is emitted, particularly in warm 

 Weather. Some pieces of iron thickly incrusted with ferru- 

 ginous sand and shingle were completely metallic at the core. 



A few of the flattened stones have casts and impressions 

 of shells upon their surfaces, particularly some species of Astarte 

 or Venus. 



But the most important amongst the organized remains here 

 are the reliquice of land animals, of which the elej)liant and 

 the deer are the most conspicuous. A fine grimier of that 

 which bears a close aflinity to the East Indian elepliant was 

 recently detached by me from this stratum. It is ponderous and 

 discoloured ; for it is probable that iron now forms one of its 

 chief component parts and has added nuich to its weight. The 

 plates which remain are nine in number; the enamel is per- 

 fectly white, and the intermediate s})aces are of a deep black: 

 the wh(jle length of the triturating surface is about six inchps, 

 and when perfect was originally much longer. See Plate II. 



Enibrddc'd witli tliis was what I conjectured (o be the up- 

 per i)art of liic skull of an animal equal in size 'to the ele- 

 phant. 



