68 THE EVOLUTIONIST AT LARGE. 



is rare along the monotonous southern 

 escarpment of the English coast. After rain, 

 especially, the changes of colour on their sides 

 are often quite startling in their vividness and 

 intensity. To-day, for example, the yellow 

 sandstone is tinged in parts with a deep russet 

 red, contrasting admirably with the bright 

 green of the fields above and the sombre 

 steel-blue of the lias belt below. Besides, we 

 have had so many landslips along this bit of 

 shore, that the various layers of rock have 

 in more than one place got mixed up with 

 one another into inextricable confusion. The 

 little town nestling in the hollow behind me 

 has long been famous as the head-quarters 

 of early geologists ; and not a small propor- 

 tion of the people earn their livelihood to the 

 present day by 'goin' a fossiling.' Every 

 child about the place recognises ammonites 

 as ' snake-stones ; ' while even the rarer ver- 

 tebrae of extinct saurians have acquired a 

 local designation as ' verterberries.' So, 

 whether in search of science or the pictur- 



