172 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Nov. 30, 



perhaps be interesting, although offered merely as addenda to the 

 memoirs already published on these strata. A sketch of the Hastings 

 Cliffs, including many localities where the insect-beds occur, will be 

 found in the ' Geological Transactions,' 2ndser. vol. ii. Part 1. pi. 5, 

 appended to Professor Webster's memoir " On the Strata near 

 Hastings " (p. 31, &c. of the same vol.), to which we shall frequently 

 refer, as well as to Dr. Fitton's memoir " On the Strata below the 

 Chalk," Geol. Trans. 2nd ser. vol. iv. Part 2. 



The lowest beds in which we obtained traces of Insect-remains 

 are the courses of ironstone (Webster, loc. cit. p. 34, — No. 1 of our 

 General Section, infra, p. 175) exposed, near low-water mark, at the 

 Govers (or Covehurst), Ecclesbourne, East Cliff, and Bulverhythe 

 (near the place where Tower No. 42 formerly stood) ; and which 

 cover a bed of light blue clay, darker downwards, with red stains. 

 The lower courses are very carbonaceous, as described by AVebster, 

 but the two highest are much less so, afford fewer traces of Plants, 

 are very compact, and exhibit the peculiar mineral structure shown 

 by the specimens * No. 40 and No. 90 : the highest bed is conspicuous 

 on the shore from its smooth pavement-like appearance, vdth the 

 surface traversed by numerous vertical cracks ; it separates, by the 

 action of the waves, into very smooth square blocks. In these beds 

 we have found a few minute elytra and fragments of Neuropteroiis 

 wings ; but our imperfect opportunities of examination, on account of 

 neap-tides and limited time, render it probable that a more thorough 

 research would be rewarded by the discovery of a very extensive 

 series of insects in this group of strata ; and more especially from 

 the beds Nos. 3 6, 6 c, 10, and 12 of General Section (p. 175), in 

 which traces of insects are very abundant. The ironstone at Bulver- 

 hythe yielded Sphenopferis Mantelli, several small undescribed Ferns, 

 a seed-like body, and other interesting plant-remains : in similar 

 beds at Fairlight the same Sphetiopferis is also abundant, together 

 with Cyclopteris 1, seed-like bodies, and a small fish. 



Above the courses of ironstone just described, the next Insect-bed 

 (3 b of Section at p. 175) is a portion of the "dark-coloured shale, 

 which is seen at the Govers and Cliff End, and contains small 

 roundish masses of sandstone" (Webster, loc. cit. p. 34), and stated 

 by Dr. Fitton, in his ' Geology of Hastings,' p. 37, " H," to be part 

 of the " Ashburnham Group" of Dr. Mantell ('Geol. S.E. of En- 

 gland,' p. 192, &:c.). The ironstone beds, previously described, may 

 be seen below this shale (with from 15 to 20 feet of sandstone and 

 clay intervening) near the Coast- Guard-house at Ecclesbourne, and 

 also, less distinctly, at East Cliff. In the upper part of this shale 

 many elytra occur ; also traces of wings, abdominal plates, &c. of 

 Coleoptera, Nevroptera, Dipteral, &c. occasionally well preserved. 

 Many of the elytra were obtained at East Cliff, where the " dark- 

 coloured shale" of "VVebster is dinsible into the beds marked 

 No. 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c, of our General Section (at p. 1 7^) ; 3 b contain- 

 ing the Insects. Above this, after the courses of sandstone and shale, 

 Nos. 4 to G 6, a second bed of brown, sandy shale occurs (No. 6 c) ; 

 * The specimens referred to are iu the Society's Museum. 



