DRIFTS OF FLAMBOEOUGH HEAD. 395 



ferous. Bones of mammals, fish, &c., along with a few badly- 

 preserved sea-shells, occur in the old Beach ; bones of mammals and 

 birds, with some small snails, in the Rainwash ; and similar remains 

 in the Blown-sand (for list of species, see p. 411, and also papers 

 quoted at p. 390). By the aid of grants from the Yorkshire Geo- 

 logical and Polytechnic Society, and from the British Association, 

 the beds have been systematically quarried and a large series of 

 the fossils collected. 



It is quite evident from this section that the headland as a feature 

 in the coast-line dates back to a period prior to the deposition of 

 the Yorkshire drifts, and that an ancient range of sea-cliffs in 

 approximately the same position as the present coast-line, but ex- 

 tending much farther westward and southward, was buried under 

 Glacial and other debris, and is now being slowly disinterred and 

 brought to its ancient condition, as the sea swallows up Holderness 

 and comes to its own again. When we consider the time-interval 

 and the great cycle of events which have passed since the stones of 

 this old beach were rolled up by the sea, it is sufficiently remark- 

 able that there should be so little difference in the sea-level that the 

 waves to-day resume their ancient work, and rearrange the same 

 pebbles into another beach under the same old cliif. 



Where the old tidal platform of Chalk has not long been subjected 

 to fresh erosion, we walk on the actual surface trodden thousands of 

 years ago by the extinct animals (for I dare say these creatures came 

 sometimes to the water-side) whose bones we have disinterred. The 

 existence of this platform, which can be traced outward for quite 

 200 yards and seems to extend much farther, shows that the land 

 must have been for some time stationary before the slight elevatory 

 movement took place which brought about the accumulation of the 

 Landwash and Blown-sand under the lee of the cliff. 



The age of these beds will be discussed, and some further details 

 given respecting them, in a later portion of the present paper (see 

 p. 410). 



(e) Sewerhy to Danes' Dylce. — W^ith the incoming of the Chalk 

 the trend of the cliff-line changes from a north-east to an east-north- 

 east course. For the next mile the sections show from 30 to 60 feet 

 of chalk (Upper Chalk without flints) capped by about the same 

 thickness of drift*. The uneven surface of the Chalk is much 

 broken, and in some places slightly contorted, and between the base 

 of the Boulder-clay and the solid rock there is generally a foot or 

 more of chalk-rubble, usually much rougher in texture than that of 

 the Sewerby section. This rubble thickens in the little hollows of 

 the Chalk. For some distance the two Boulder-clays shown in fig. 4 

 maybe readily traced by a well-marked difference in colour, and also 

 by being often separated by a seam of silt, sand, or gravel ; but the 

 Basement Clay frequently shows a tendency to pass into or include 

 stratified and contorted beds of sand and loam, and as we go east- 



* Some details of these drifts will be found in J. K. Dakyns's ' Glacial 

 Deposits north of Bridlington,' Proc. Yorks. Geol. & Polyteehu. Soc. vol. vii. 

 (1S80) p. 246. 



2e2 



