1825.] Mr. Webster's Reply to Dr. Fitton. 51 



of so much confusion, that it seems better to give it up altoge- 

 ther (also), and to choose for the beds in question names 

 entirely new." But is this quite necessary ? and what will be 

 the confusion in all the books already written and to be written 

 should we adopt instead of it the proposed name of Hhankliii, 

 sands f For my part, I cannot help thinking that we ought to 

 retain the term green sand: it has become almost national, 

 and is endeared to us by many associations : it has been the 

 frequent companion of our travels, and passes current on the 

 Continent even without translation. Shall we discard an old 

 friend because some one has misnamed him? or is this any 

 thing like the classical practice of covering the combatants with 

 a cloud to prevent the decision of a contest / Seriously, when 

 will these changes end ? or is every month's Annats to produce 

 a new geological nomenclature ? I really thought I had given up 

 enough (considering the state of the question), when I proposed 

 to turn my " ferruginous " into " lower green," not to save my 

 own credit, but that of others. 



In the same communication to the Geological Society, I sug- 

 gested (I verily believe before any other person thought of it) 

 that the Woburn sands agreed vi-ith what was considered by some 

 as the true green ; and 1 find by Dr. Fitton's " Additions," that 

 he has since been consulting his maps, and that he has now 

 come very near indeed to adopt my opinion on this subject. I 

 am pleased also to find that Mr. Lyell has confirmed the obser- 

 vations which I made on the green sand at Beachy Head in 

 1813 (see my paper on the Freshwater Formations, vol. ii. 

 Trans. Geol. Soc. p. 192), and that he observed a section at 

 Shiere which is the counterpart of that which 1 described before 

 at Merstham (vol. v. p. 353). It is also satisfactory to perceive, 

 that this gentleman has now arrived at the same conclusions 

 that I had come to several years before with respect to the cor- 

 respondence between the general structure of the weald and the 

 Isle of Wight, and which had not been doubted until lately. 



I shall be glad to avail myself of the extensive circulation of 

 the Annals to state, that I will feel obliged to any gentleman, 

 whose local knowledge of the districts on the outcrop or basset 

 of the chalk in England, or on the Continent, may give him 

 the means of examining them, for any information respecting 

 the beds which appear immediately betoio the clialk, since it is 

 my wish to pursue this interesting part of English geology, until 

 the obscurities complained of shall be completely cleared up. 



1 am, Gentlemen, very truly yours, 

 20, Bedford-itreet, Covcnt-garden, London. ThoMAS WebsTEU . 



k2 



