71 



SKETCH SECTIONS OF TWO SIDES OF A SQUARE PIT NEAR 



THE BEACH, ON THE NORTH-EAST SIDE OF PENDENNIS 



HEAD, FALMOUTH, 



Examined by Mr. HOWARD FOX, F.G.S., and Mr. NICHOLAS WHITLEY, F.Met.S. 

 Sept. 18th, 1890. 



Note by Mb. Whitley. 



These deposits, recently exposed in an excavation above the 

 base of the cliff, appear to me to call for special examination, as 

 being marted on the Ordnance Geological Map as the site of a 

 "Eaised-beach," and so described by Sir Henry De-la-Beche in 

 his report on the Geology of Devon and Cornwall, as a '' Raised 

 Beach," p. 428. A detailed consideration of the beds exposed, 

 leads to the conclusion that the mass of the materials have been 

 washed down from the hills above, and not washed up by the 

 sea. The base of the sections, however, does not reach the level 

 of the sea, where it is more than probable that other deposits 

 may be found at a lower level. 



The inclined bed of very fine silicious sand is of great interest. 

 The particles are so fine as to form an impalpable powder when 

 touched by the finger. Under the microscope they are all 

 angular and rugged, and of a uniform size, nearly all silicious, 

 except a few plates of mica may be seen, and some black grains 

 of hornblende or schorl. When tested by muriatic acid there 

 is no indication of lime, shells, or coral, so abundant in the 

 harbour sand. On the whole, I am of opinion that the whole 

 mass exposed in the section must be described as the " Head,'''' 

 so named by the late Godwin-Austin, and thus described by Dr. 

 James Geike. " The only accumulations in Cornwall which can 

 be recognised as pertaining to the Ice Age, are certain raised- 

 beaches, and the peculiar earthy and stony debris ("head") 

 which caps them. These as we have seen, belong probably 

 to the last inter-glacial epoch and the final cold stage of the 

 glacial period." — Prehistoric Europe, p. 437. 



