Dr. FiTTON on the Strata below the Chalk. 161 



sand and the Hastings sand, are not so well defined ; but on the south of Boughton, a series of 

 heights extends from Marden to the east of Staplehurst. 



(78.) Coast of Kent. There is, strictly speaking, no section of the Weald 

 clay and the upper part of the Hasting sands on the coast of Kent ; the line 

 of heights which, at some very remote period, may have been sea-cliffs washed 

 by the English Channel, being now covered with vegetation, and separated 

 from the sea by the wide tract of Romney Marshes. Having, myself, some 

 years ago, observed indications of sand and stone, in the Weald valley near 

 the coast where it is difficult to find good sections exposed, my friend the Rev. 

 G. E. Smith was good enough, at my request, to examine that part of the coun- 

 try ; and from his notes I learn that the greater part of the series there must 

 consist of sand and sandy clay, — the blue fissile clay, which occurs in the 

 upper part of it, not recurring, or not having been detected, farther down. 



The first rise of the clay from beneath the green-sands, is represented in the view Plate VIII. ; 

 and the general section of the coast between Folkstone and Beachy Head, (Plate X. a. No. 6.) 

 includes the strata on the west of Hythe. The shore beneath that town, which is sometimes 

 laid bare, when the sea carries away the shingles, during the prevalence of easterly winds, consists 

 of soft bluish clay, which has the characters of river mud, and differs much from the uniform slaty 

 clay of ihe Wealds. But the latter has been cut through in sinking wells above the main street 

 of Hythe, which, in some instances, have gone to the depth of 75 feet entirely in clay. In one of 

 these wells, the succession of beds was thus ; — beginning at a point about 60 feet beneath the 

 Lottom of the Lower green-sand. 



Upper Part of the Weald-Clay at Hythe. 



Ft. In. 



1. Soil 2 6 



2. Reddish tough clay* 6 to 7 



a. Greenish sandy clay, in thin bands, alternately of dark and lighter hues. . 5 to 6 



4. Blue, uniform, slaty clay, containing Cypris about a foot from the top. . about 5 

 o. A band, composed of argillaceous iron ore, abounding in Paludina elon- 



gata, and Cypris ? 



18 



6. Blue clay continued. Here a boring was made to a depth of about 20 feet : 



all in bluish clay 20 



Total 38 



Blue clay with Cypris occurs also, according to the Rev. G. E. Smith, immediately below the 

 green-sand, at Aldington Corner ; but nothing like it, he informs me, in the succeeding parts 

 of the section towards the south. A bed of limestone, with Paludinae (" Sussex marble") occurs 

 at Hurst-j-, beneath Court-at-Street, and seems to be continued in the clay which passes from 

 that place round the base of Aldington Knoll ; and a similar stone is found, in a corresponding 

 situation in the cypriferous clay, at Daniell's Water on the south-west, Stanford Bridge, on the 



* In descending from the sands at Linton, south of Boughton, and in many other places, the 

 top of the Wealden is seen to consist of very red clay. 



•j" The term Hurst is of such frequent occurrence in the names of places in Kent, Surrey, and 

 Sussex, that the Ordnance Maps alone afford a List of about 120 such names. Having sent this 

 List to the Rev. Joseph Hunter, late of Bath, that gentleman has favoured me with some obser- 



VOL. IV. SECOND SERIES. Y 



