356 cretaceous. 



lower cretaceous. 



Wealden Series. 



This term is a modification of Weald Measures, introduced in 

 1812 by J. Middleton. Our earliest information respecting the 

 strata is mainly due to Mantell (1822) and Fitton (1824) ; but the 

 name Wealden appears to have been first used by P. J. Martin, 

 in 1828.1 



The Wealden area, as understood by geologists, embraces all the 

 rocks bounded by the Chalk escarpment of the North and South 

 Downs ; but the Wealden rocks proper constitute the old district 

 of the Weald, and with these we have now principally to deal. 



The Wealden Beds are developed over a considerable part of 

 Surrey, Sussex, and Kent, between Haslemere, Hythe, and Pevensey; 

 they are also found in Dorsetshire and the Isle of Wight. These 

 rocks comprise a series of clays, loose sands, sandstones, and shelly 

 limestones, indicating by their fossils that they were accumulated 

 in an estuary or lake, where freshwater conditions prevailed.^ In 

 the upper part of the series we find in places indications of 

 fluvio-marine conditions. The Plant-remains include Coniferaj, 

 Cycads, and the Ferns, Paopteris, Sphenoptcris, Lonchopteris, etc. 

 The Ostracoda include Cypridea Fittoni, C. Valdensis, etc. Many 

 remains of Insects are found.^ The Mollusca comprise species of 

 Cyrena, Unio, Alelanopsis, Paludina, etc. Among the Fishes are 

 L'pidotus, Hybodus, etc., and the Reptiles include several forms of 

 Dinosauria, and other orders. 



The Iguanodon was discovered in the Wealden Beds of Tilgate 

 Forest in 1822 by Mrs. Mantell, and named three years later by 

 Dr. G. A. Mantell. Its length from snout to end of tail has been 

 estimated at upwards of 40 feet. 



Among other forms are Hyhwsaurus Oivcnii and Megalosaurus 

 Bucklandi. The Hylicosatims ("Forest" or "Wealden Lizard"), 

 was discovered in 1832, and its estimated length was 25 feet. The 

 Megalosaurus, as restored in 1854, in the gardens of the Crystal 

 Palace, by Mr. B. Waterhouse Hawkins, measures 37 feet long and 

 22 feet 6 inches in girth.* Pterodaclylus also occurs in the Wealden 

 Beds, as well as Cctcosaurus, Streptospondylus, etc. Speaking of the 

 great quadrangular dorsal scutes of the Goniopholis of the Wealden 

 and Purbeck formations. Sir R. Owen says, " No knight of old was 

 encased in jointed mail of better proof than these Crocodiles 



1 See W. Topley, Geol. of the Weald (Geol. Survey), 1875 ; Mantell, Geo!. 

 S. E. of England ; Fitton, T. G. S. (2), iv. 103 ; P. J. Martin, Memoir on 

 Western Sussex, 1828. 



2 C. J. A. Meyer. Q. J. xxviii. 243. 



3 W. R. and H. Binfield, Q.J. x. 171 ; H. Goss, P. Geol. Assoc, vi. 116. 



* See Owen, Geology and Inhabitants of the Ancient World, 1854 ; Morris, 

 P. Geol. Assoc, v. 377. 



