CHAPTER XIII . 



THE WEALDEN GROUP. 



Wealden formation of English ; Formation Vcldicnnc of French ; Walder- 

 thongebilde of the German Authors. 



MUSEUMS : The Mantellian Collection, now in the British Museum ; those 

 of the Marchioness of Hastings ; Mr. Holmes, of Horsham ; Mr. 

 Bowerhank, Mr. Saull, and some private Cabinets in Sussex. 



AUTHORS : Mantell, Fitton, Murchison, Martin, Hopkins, Dunker. and Meyer. 



CHARACTERISTICS : The Fluviatile Character of its Fossil Remains being 

 the Spoils of the River and the Land. 



English Authors. French Authors. German Authors. 



J. Weald Clay. Argile Veldienne. WSlderthon. 



2. Hastings Sands. Sable ferrugineux. Hastingssandsteine. 



3. Ashburnham Beds. 1 Calcaire Lumachelle. Ashburnham Schichten. 



4. PurbeckBeds. J Purbeckien. 



THERE is one feature which serves to identify this group, 

 and invests it with peculiar interest. It is a fresh-water 

 deposit, the only one of that character, with the exception 

 of the coal, which exists in the vast range of the secondary 

 rocks, and affording, with it, almost the only evidence we 

 possess of the existence of the ancient land ; its organic 

 remains consisting of fluviatile plants, shells, fishes, and 

 reptiles. 



FORMER OPINION or THESE DEPOSITS. The strata which 

 we are about to describe, are most fully developed between 

 the North and South Downs, forming the district de- 

 nominated the weald ; from Wald, a wood, the whole tract 

 having at a former period been occupied by extensive 

 forests. In consequence of being exposed between two 

 ranges of chalk-hills, the wealden was formerly regarded as 

 appertaining to that group, and, from being chiefly com- 

 posed of clays, sands, and sandstones, was believed to 



