454 Henry Bassett, Jun. — Oldhaven Beds at Ip&uidi. 



number of the pebbles are composed of bard clay, wbile tbere are 

 otbers of sandstone and sligbtly rolled flints. Tbe typical black 

 well-worn flints cbaracteristic of ibis borizon of tbe Eocene beds 

 bere form only a small proportion of tbe total. Anotber striking 

 feature about tbe bed is tbat it is crowded witb sbells. Tbese sbells 

 are quite perfect, but very fragile, and it is almost impossible to get 

 tbem out wbole. Sbarks' teetb are also fairly abundant. Tbe 

 following sbells and teetb bave been obtained, and most of tbem 

 were very kindly identified for me by Mr. E. T. Newton, F.E.S. 

 Tbe sbells were so fragmentary tbat it was practically impossible to 

 assign more tban a generic name ; it was mucb easier, in fact, to 

 name tbem before removing tbem from tbe pebble-bed. 



Astarte {tenera ? and riigata ?). Aporrhais. 



Cardmm. Natica. 



Corlula. Teetli of — 



Cyrena. Oclontaspis elee/cms, Ag. 



Cytlierea {orbicularis?). Odontasjns [cuspidata?], Ag. 



Ostrea (only one rolled fragment found). Lemma T'incenti, Winkler. 



Feckmculus. Teleostean fish vertebra.. 



Sbells belonging to tbe genera Astarte and Corhula were mucb 

 tbe commonest. Tbe clay pebbles occurring in tbis bed bave, 

 I tbii;Av, undoubtedly been derived from local beds of tbe Eeading 

 Series, for tbe clay is in every way similar in appearance to tbat 

 occurring in tbe Reading Beds above tbe Cbalk in the well-known 

 section at Bramford, about two miles off. Tbe sandstone pebbles- 

 bave also very probably been derived from otber beds of the same 

 series. As tbe pebble-bed is traced westwards from tbe part of tbe 

 section at wbicb tbe sbells occur, it is found tbat first of all it loses 

 its abnormal character and is composed almost entirely of small 

 black flint pebbles. A little further on, however, when about 

 40 yards from tbe starting-point, it has become still more unusual 

 in its character, being now represented by a bed about 6 feet 

 thick, composed almost entirely of clay pebbles of various sizes, 

 from 1 to 12 inches in diameter. Tbe clay pebbles lie with the 

 original bedding-planes of the Clay at all angles to the somewhat 

 indistinct bedding of the pebble-bed, and, as before, they have 

 doubtless been derived from local Eeading Clay beds. A few 

 Chalk fragments also occur, and also a considerable amount of race. 



The clay pebble-bed in some directions insensibly shades into tbe 

 underlying sands, upon wbicb it rests in an exceedingly irregular 

 manner, and into wbicb in some places it suddenly scoops down for 

 a foot or two. Tbe bedding approximately follows this irregular 

 base-line. Tbe normal type of flint pebble-bed, however, althougb 

 it varies somewhat in thickness (from to 1 foot), only does so 

 gradually, and does not exhibit the very uneven base of the clay 

 pebble-bed. 



In a few parts of tbe pit tbere is a tbin bed (a few inches thick) 

 of rolled black flint pebbles between tbe clay pebble-bed and the 

 overlying Loudon Clay. Tbis was well seen at the part of the 

 section where tbe shells occurred, but unfortunately tbis part of 



