HAMSTEAD BEDS. 197 



but the evidence was not quite satisfactory. All the borings 

 between Porchfield and Burnt Wood leave the age of the beds 

 some-.vhat doubtful, and it is still uncertain whether the thin 

 carbonaceous seam met with (B.H. 264, 262) represents the Black 

 Band. 



A similar uncertaintj^ affects most of the borings near Great 

 Thorness, but the Black Baud occurs again 9 feet below the 

 surface at the cross roads north of VVhitehouse Farm (B.H. 242). 

 A boring immediately south of Little Thorness (B.H. 228) was 

 put down into the beds above the Black Band. In the high road 

 near the junction of the road to Little Thorness a seam of white 

 marl, perhaps representing the White Band, was met with (B.H. 

 212). It lies at about the right distance above the base and is 

 full of Cyrena and Melania fusciata. 



A quarter of a mile further east along the high road, clays with 

 Melania muricata and Melanopsis were found in the spoil heap of 

 a well, similar beds occurring at about the same level near Hillis 

 Farm (B.H. 208). South of Hillis Farm a boring (B.H. 2*9) 

 in the valley reached the Black Band at 16 feet, another boring 

 (B.H. 211), at Rolls Bridge, disclosed clays with Paludina, 

 Melania tiirritissima, and Folliculites thalictroides. This last may 

 be in Bembridge Marls. 



Of three borings near Whippance the highest (B.H. 220, 221) 

 seems to have been sunk in or near the Ncmatura pujia bed, and 

 the lowest (B.H. 222) reached the Black Band, in which again 

 occur small angular flints. 



Near Sticelett either the strata undulate, or, as is more likely, 

 they are slipping downward towards the sea. The highest boring 

 (B.H. 213) commenced at 92 feet, but others at lower levels 

 seemed still to be in Ilamstead Beds. Much of the upper part of 

 this hill is covered with gravel, through which it would be difficult 

 to bore. At the junction of Tinker's liane with the Gurnard 

 Road the Black Band was again met with (B.H. 207), though 

 the whole of the beds to a depth of 14 feet were much altered 

 and full of selenite. 



Skinners Grove Tile Works show clays with seams of Cyrena 

 semistriata and Cytheridea Miilleri. J. Rhodes also obtained 

 bones of Turtle and Crocodile. These beds lie probably 30 or 40 

 feet up in the Hamstead Series, for in the valley a quarter of a 

 mile to the east-south-east clays like those immediately above the 

 Black Band were reached (B.H. 200). 



Tsvo borings near Pallance, one north of the Farm (B.H. 205), 

 and one south (B.H. 201), both reached tlie Black Band, but the 

 fossils are very much decayed. North of Pallance the junction of 

 the Hamsteacl and Bembridge Series soon becomes much obscured 

 by wash from the gravel plateau, but a well near Upper Cockleton 

 showed shelly clay, full of Cyrena semistriata, beneath the gravel. 

 North of this point the gravel descends and overlaps the junction 

 of the Hamstead and Bembridge Beds. 



In the middle of the plateau, shaly clay with Paludina angulosa 

 and Melanopsis carinata has been dug at Place Brickyard ; but 

 though from its position this clay must belong to the Hamstead 



