HASTINGS BEDS. 357 



of an older world." ' Remains of Chelone, Platei7iys, and Tretosternon 

 {^Trionyx), have been found, as well as a Reptilian &gg, discovered 

 by the Rev. T. Fox, at Brixton in the Isle of Wight, and named 

 Oolithes obtusalusr Remains of the Bird Pakvornis have likewise 

 been met with. 



The Wealden Beds are divided as follows :^ — 



2. Weald Clay. 

 I. Hastings Beds. 



Their total thickness is about 1500 feet. While the beds extend 

 uninterruptedly over the Wealden area, they do not extend far 

 north, and are not even present beneath the Chalk at Chatham. 



HASTINGS BEDS. 



The lower portion of the Wealden Beds consists for the most 

 part of sands, with subordinate beds of clay ; these are well 

 shown in the cliffs at Hastings, and hence the name Hastings 

 Sands was proposed by Dr. Fitton in 1824. The several members 

 of the series are very variable in thickness (attaining a total of 700 

 feet), and at the same time there is great similarity in the clays and 

 sands that occur at different horizons in it. It is hardly possible 

 to regard the divisions as marking changes that occurred uniformly 

 over the area, and although it is convenient to make lithological 

 divisions, yet the correlation of these in different parts of the 

 district must always be open to doubt as regards contemporaneity. 

 Indeed, in the lowermost division it has been determined that the 

 Fairlight Clays are represented in other localities by sandy beds 

 belonging to the Ashdown Series. Mr. Topley has well observed 

 that such divisions can only be made out, and their relations 

 determined, by actual mapping. 



In the Hastings Beds occur the deposits of iron-ore for which 

 the Wealden district was noted from early British and Roman 

 times down to about the year 1720. Hence the term 'Iron Sand 

 and Carstone ' used by old writers. In the time of Queen Elizabeth, 

 Sussex was full of iron-mines and furnaces, for the casting of 

 cannon, etc.* 



The fossils of the Hastings Beds have been generally noted 

 under the heading of Wealden, and they will be referred to under 

 the various divisions. Endogenites erosa is met with in the lowest 

 beds, and Equisetites Lyellii more generally. 



^ Q. J. xxxiv. 422. 



"^ W. Carrutheis, Q. J. xxvii. 447. 



•' F. Drew, Q. J. xvii. 271. 



■* Camden's iiritannia, 1586. 



