LOWER GREENSAND. 369 



the Hythe Beds comprise about 30 feet of false-bedded sand with 

 Bargate Stone, resting on 46 feet of buff calcareous sand.' Mr. C. 

 J. A. Meyer has described the Lower Greensand of the neighbour- 

 hood of Godalming in detail. His classification differs some- 

 what from that adopted by the Geological Survey, inasmuch as he 

 places the Bargate Stone and the underlying pebbly beds with the 

 Folkestone Beds, and he regards portions of the lower strata (here 

 spoken of as Hythe Beds) as Sandgate Beds.* 



The pebble-beds of Godalming, beneath the Bargate stone, con- 

 sist of quartzose sand with pebbles of quartz, lydian stone, ironstone, 

 etc., and the beds are from a few inches to ten or twelve feet 

 in thickness. They contain also extraneous Oolitic and Liassic 

 fossils ; as well as Spines of Echinoderms, Venmcularia concava, 

 and other Lower Greensand fossils, including Tercbratella Fittoni, 

 etc. Mr. Meyer traces the beds at Guildford, Dorking, Nuffield, 

 and Sevenoaks, and also at Folkestone and Shanklin.^ The beds 

 may be compared with those of Faringdon and Seend. 



At Leith Hill, Cold Harbour, etc., the Hythe Beds comprise 

 false-bedded yellow and brown sands and sandstone, speckled with 

 green particles of glauconite, together with a few layers of chert. 



Mr. F. Drew observes that above INIaidstone the Hythe Beds 

 consist entirely of Kentish Rag with hassock between the layers ; 

 the beds worked are thirty or forty feet or even more in thick- 

 ness. In the rag dark phosphatic and carbonaceous masses 

 called " MoUuskite " occur; they are supposed to be the soft parts 

 of Mollusca petrified. The most interesting remains are those 

 of the Iguanodon obtained in 1834. by Mr. W. H. Bensted.* 



Economic products, etc. 



The Iguanodon-quany near Maidstone is one of the largest quarries in Kent, 

 the stone being worked to a depth of 75 feet, and comprising 21 layers of building- 

 and road-stone alternating with hassock. 



The Kentish Rag and sometimes also the Hassock are used for building-purposes 

 and road-metal. The Rag is quarried at Preston Hill, and Barming Heath, near 

 Maidstone, Hythe, etc. Most of the old churches and castles of Kent have 

 been constructed of this stone. It is also burnt for lime, and, according to Mr. 

 Bensted, in the same way as Chalk, more fuel, however, being required. Hence, 

 although superior to chalk-lime, it is more costly. An analysis showed the follow- 

 ing composition : — 



Carbonate of lime with a little magnesia 92-6 



Earthy matter 6' 5 



Oxide of iron "5 



Carbonaceous matter "4 



^ Topley, Geol. Weald, p. 122. 



* P. Geol. Assoc. 1869 (paper separately printed). 



^ G. Mag. 1S64, p. 249 ; 1866, p. 18 ; Geologist, vi. 53 ; Topley, Geol. Weald, 

 p. 124. 



* Proc. Geol. Assoc, i. 57 ; Geologist, v. 300. 



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