1824.] below the Chalk, Sf& 377 



be distinct: It may be advantageous, therefore, to relinquish 

 altogether both of these denominations, and to adopt one from 

 a place where (as at Hastings) the strata are well developed 

 and conspicuous. Barnes thus derived, do not mislead ; they 

 keep in view and facilitate reference to the original type, and 

 have in fact been adopted for some other strata, — as the Pur- 

 beck, and Portland limestones, the Oxford clay, Sec. 



The Hastings sands in the Isle of Wight may be described as 

 consisting of an alternating series of beds of sand, — more or 

 less abundant in ferruginous matter, and containing courses 

 generally in a concretional form, of calcareous grit, — with beds 

 of clay, much mixed with sand, of a greenish or reddish hue, or 

 of a mottled and variegated appearance . Subordinate beds con- 

 taining or consisting of fuller's earth, occur along with these 

 clays ; — and wood more or less changed, wood-coal, and iron 

 stone, occur in several parts of the series. In the Isle of Wight 

 a part only of the formation is visible : but at Swanage, a sec- 

 tion of the whole is exposed ; and in both cases, the proportion 

 of the clays to the more prominent sandy beds is so great, that 

 if composition only were regarded, the formation ought to take 

 its name from the former. In this respect the sands of Hast- 

 ings differ considerably from the upper part of the green sand 

 series, which contains much less clay ; nor do any of the Hast- 

 ings beds at all resemble those sands at Red Cliff and Compton 

 Bay, which abound so remarkably in particles of iron ore. 

 There is also a more general difference of hue and aspect, be- 

 tween the greater part of the Hastings strata, and the richly 

 coloured sands in the upper part of the green-sand, which can 

 be recognized, I think, by an eye acquainted with both ; but 

 the difference between the fossils of the two formations is for- 

 tunately so great as to afford a much more certain distinc- 

 tion. 



The section of this formation visible in Sandown Bay, though 

 of small extent, resembles perfectly that of the opposite side of 

 the island, between Cowleaze and Compton-Grange Chines. 

 The prominent land on the west of Southmore, (called, not 

 very correctly, Southmore Point,) is the central part of the 

 series, and the beds thereabouts are the lowest in the island ; 

 the section of them on the shore from Bull-rock to Brook 

 Chine, being a very flat curve, declining on both sides towards 

 the chalk : — but an appearance of greater curvature than really 

 exists is occasioned by the projection of the land, and the 

 gradual rise of the beds from the interior. The principal vari- 

 ation in the features of this part of the coast, is produced by 

 the successive rise of the beds of sand rock with calcareous 

 grit ; which, as the clays between are much less durable, 

 form ledges extending considerably into the sea. It is to the 



