BEACHES, ETC., OE THE SOUTH OF ENGLAND. 



273 



One block of porphyritic red granite, which had fallen out of the 

 low cliff, we found to be 27^ feet in circumference. 



(10) Hayling Island. — The surface of this island is flat, and its 

 structure is very similar to that of the plain just described — namely 

 a covering of gravelly clay, a few feet thick, resting on the London 

 Clay, with boulders occasionally projecting above its surface. Large 

 boulders are common on the coast, and many are to be seen in the 

 farmsteads and at the cross-roads. I spent a week in the island in 

 1875, and made a tolerably complete collection of these rocks, which 

 I had hoped to examine later on at leisure. To my regret, the 

 box containing the si)ecimens was lost, so that I can only give a 

 list from the notes I made on the spot. (A short notice of them will 

 be found in the Reports of the 13ritish Association Meeting at 

 Southampton in 1«82, p. 529.) 



Fine-Drained white Granite. 



Red G-ranite. 



Syenite. 



Porphyry. 



Diorite. 



White Quartz-rock. 



Light-coloured micaceous Sandstones. 

 Light Red Sandstones. 

 Hard Chalk (drilled by annelids). 

 Freshwater Limestone (Upper Ter- 

 tiary). 

 Fossil Wood (Portland Beds). 



Most of the blocks are angular or subangular. Some few are 

 smooth and look ice-worn, but I saw no definite markings. They 

 are often met with in trenching and draining, at a depth of from 

 1 to 4 feet. They may vary in weight from | to 6 tons. 



The two largest blocks I saw were of sandstone, and measured 

 respectively 6 It. 10 in. x 5ft. x 2 ft. 4 in., and 5ft. x 5 ft. 2 in. X 2ft. 7in. 

 (this last was very angular). On one mile of shore I counted as many 

 as 30 blocks of various sizes and materials. They must originally 

 have been even more numerous, for of late years a large number 

 have been gathered together in the grounds of Westfield House, 

 whilst many have been broken up. I was much interested in a 

 specimen of fossil wood, like that of Portland, 26 inches long by 

 14 in width, which was shown me at the Yicarage ; it seemed to me 

 at the time almost conclusive evidence of the direction from which 

 the boulders came. I was moreover informed that smaller pieces 

 had been found. A similar discovery at Selsej had been recorded 

 by the Rev. 0. Fisher.' 



The boulders in this island might appear to form part of the 

 clay-and-gravel drift, and Godwin-Ausren noticed them in the 

 same position in the Pagham district, but I think it more probable 

 that these were stranded on the old Beach-shore, and not until later 

 on were they covered up by the Rubble- drift. These shores may 

 have then presented very much the same aspect that some parts of 

 the West Coast of Scotland now present : a strand dotted over with 

 boulders of all sizes. I was also told that at the depth of a few 

 feet beneath the surface, and under the drift and boulders, marine 

 shells (Ostrea, Cardium^ and Littorina) were sometimes met with, 

 but I had no opportunity of verifying the statement. 



1 Geol. Mag. for 1871, p. 524. 



