16 Meyer— On the Cretaceous Rocks, 



•whicli I was already aware), but also ascertained tlie existence of a 

 group of sand-beds, from 100 to 130 feet in thickness, between the 

 pebble-beds and the highest layers of Kentish-rag ; and I have no 

 doubt that these sand-beds, although containing but little argillaceous 

 matter, are the real representative of the Sandgate-beds. The out- 

 crop of these pebbly-sands may be best observed in a lane im- 

 mediately opposite the entrance to the principal TuUer's-earth pit. 

 The si;ccession of the strata being as follows : — 



a. Layers of Sandstone, passing under high-road and 



forming floor of Fullers-earth pit 6ft. ? 



6. Coarse gritty -beds ; light fawn colour . . . • . 5ft. ^, 



c. Ditto, with minute pebbles, and hardening into r -.pp. 



conglomerate 6ft. i 



d. Gritty-sands, — as above . , 5ft. J 



e. Light ash-coloured and ferruginous sands (part of 



middle division), becoming slightly argillaceous 



as they descend 50 to 100ft. 



These beds dip gently to the north, and following the slope of the 

 ground it is evident that the FuUer's-earth must still be near the 

 surface in Nutfield Marsh, where Dr. Fitton had placed the outcrop 

 of his " Middle-division." 



In the Isle of Wight the strata composing the middle and upper 

 portion of the cliffs southward from Shanklin chine to their 

 junction with the Gault probably represent the Folkestone beds, 

 and may be said to approach, somewhat roughly, in character 

 to those of Nuffield and Godalming. Several thin layers of 

 pebbles, bands of argillaceous matter, and concretions of sparry 

 limestone, abounding in fossils, occurring in the lower portion ; the 

 higher strata consisting of sands of various colours, frequently 

 yellowish or ferruginous, like the upper beds of the Lower Green- 

 sand, of Surrey. 



Turning now to the section it will be seen that the range of the 

 Folkestone-beds has been continued as far westward as Lyme Eegis ; 

 for, although aware that this arrangement is contrary to generally- 

 received opinion, such I believe to be the position of the oldest 

 Cretaceous deposits of that neighbourhood. The composition and 

 succession of the strata at Black Ven, the typical section for the 

 lower beds of the Cretaceous series of Dorset and Devon, having 

 much more in unison with the Folkestone-beds than with the Gault 

 or Upper Greensand to which they are more usually attributed. 

 And that it is by no means unreasonable to continue the range of 

 the Lower Greensand to the westward at the period of the deposition 

 of the Folkestone -beds is evident by its vastly-increased area (at 

 the same period) to the north-west and north ; the Lower Greensand 

 beds of Devizes and Calne in Wiltshire, of Farringdon in Berkshire, 

 and the Carstone-beds of Norfolk, all cleai'ly belonging to the 

 Folkestone-series, the ferruginous or upper division of Fitton. 



The remaining subdivisions of the Cretaceous series are so well 

 known that I shall mention them merely in connection with the 

 western extremity of my section. 



