46 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Isle of Wight. — The superficial accumulations of the Isle of Wight 

 are remarkably well exhibited in numerous sections along its coast- 

 line, as well as in the interior. From these it will readily be seen 

 that they are referable mainly, first, to an old series which extended 

 uniformly over the whole of the northern or tertiary portion of the 

 island, and, occupying in part the transverse valleys of the central 

 chalk-ridge, was spread out over the whole of the valleys of denu- 

 dation, nearly to the base of the chalk-range on the south. 



These old or high-level gravels are well seen on the hill-tops along 

 the northern coast, and the following section illustrates their general 

 characters. 



Fig. 2. — Section of Gravel-beds above Cowes. 



1. Mould. 



2. Gravel. 



3. Red and mottled brick-earth. 



if!*lm 



liijii'iiiii' 



iiiiiiiii 





>^ Gravels. 



4, Clay-bands. 



5. Yellowr and buff sandy gravel. 



'/V/.r.r..";'.''T.'.1*f;^i^* 6. Coarse gravel. 

 .':f''~-'\''-\':\\'/f'.-\'^:'-t:'?^'>':"'^^ 7- Red coarse gravel, much waterworn. 



Nearly all the valleys of the tertiary area, as well as of the green- 

 sand, have been cut out since the original outspread of this accumula- 

 tion. The beds of this age have not been found to contain any 

 animal remains ; and, whatever their age may be, this much is certain, 

 that they came next in order of time, after the uppermost fluvio- 

 marine deposits of the Nummulitic formation. 



The gravel-beds next in age mostly overlie portions of those just 

 described ; but they are superior also to the remains of old terres- 

 trial surfaces. The relations of these two sets of gravel-beds are 

 well shown in the cliiF-section at Freshwater Gate, which has been 

 fully described elsewhere*, but of which part is represented in the 

 following woodcut. 



Fig. 3. — Section showing the relations of the Gravel-beds at 



Freshwater. 



a. Chalk, b. Lower or older red gravel, c. Old surface and talus, d. Gravel 

 with elephant-remains, e. Brick-earth. 



These overlying gravel-beds, both here and in other parts of the 



* Memoirs of the Geological Survey, 1856; Isle of Wight, pp.3 & 103. 



