SWANAGE BAY. 351 



Southward of Handfast Point, near the foot of 

 Ballard Down, there is a small cove or recess 

 termed Punjield, in which strata of Firestone, 

 Gait, Greensand and Wealden clay, are seen in a 

 highly inclined position. The middle series of 

 the Wealden deposits, the Hastings Sands, which 

 are not visible in the Isle of Wight, form 

 the line of cliffs from Punfield to Swanage. 

 These beds consist of sands, clays, and calcareous 

 grits, enclosing seams and disseminated masses 

 of lignite, and containing bones of reptiles, &c. 

 The sea-shore, as in Brook and Sandown Bays, is 

 often strewn with fossil trees, and rolled bones of 

 the Iguanodon and other animals, that have been 

 washed out of fallen masses of the strata. The 

 tract on which the town of Swanage stands, is on 

 the line of junction between the Hastings beds, 

 and the Purbeck group ; the latter comprises 

 clays, sands, and limestones, with bands of shelly 

 marbles, calcareous shales, and coarse limestones, 

 full of small paludinos, cyclades, and other fresh- 

 water shells. 



The spaces respectively occupied by these de- 

 posits as measured along the foot of the cliff, are 

 given by Dr. Fitton as follow : — 



Firestone 250 paces. 



Gait 200 — 



