CORRELATION OF THE BOURNEMOUTH BEDS. 219 
soon again diversified in its lower portion by a fresh series of small 
black lenticular patches. That these lenticular patches are cross sec- 
tions of ancient channels parallel with the old shore seems probable ; 
and that they are of considerable length may be argued from the fact 
that both Prof. Prestwich’s sections* show an arrangement which can 
be identified by certain peculiarities with two existing patches, not- 
withstanding that, in the 30 years that have elapsed since these 
figures were drawn, there is reason to believe 100 yards of coast 
may have been washed away. One coastguardsman estimated that as 
much as 60 yards had gone in about 16 years, and all testimony points 
to a rapid waste. That this is much feared is clear from the great di- 
stance from the cliff at which the coastguard buildings are erected, 
and a monument on Double Dykes has had to be shifted further inland. 
Wet brings down large masses of mud and sand in a few hours ; 
wind produces continuous streams of sand; the falling pebbles com- 
pel you to give the cliffs a wide berth; and perpetual slips cause 
anxiety to the nevertheless fortunate proprietors of the lands 
bordering the sea. 250 yards to the east I detected a bean-like 
single-seeded pod with indistinct leaves, and other seeds in one of 
the lenticular patches. Here seems to be inserted a fresh series of 
laminated sands, 6 feet thick, with much wood and lignite; but with 
this exception the cliffs, 77 feet high, are all sand with only occa- 
sional darker lenticular patches, and with very few pebbles in thin 
small layers. ‘The dip decreases 150 yards W. to 1°, and E.S.E. by 
8.E. - The bottom-beds, 12 feet thick, contain distinct impressions of 
leaves in a liver-coloured clay; among them an ovate and a strongly 
serrate leaf are recognizable. 44 yards on we have several layers 
of black clay under the line of damp already mentioned as separating 
the two series of beds, then white sand, and only 10 feet dark sandy 
clay. The Bournemouth beds, here 40 feet thick, form, as a rule, a 
nearly vertical base to the cliff; whilst the Boscombe Sands, frequently 
nearly pure white and fit for glass-making, always slope back at a 
considerable angle. 130 yards W. we have another curious series 
of parallel shingle-beds ; and in the base-beds, which are of liver- 
coloured clay, a large laurel-shaped leaf is abundant, associated with 
a pod as large as and resembling an ordinary pea-pod ; 66 yards W. 
the cliffs again become wholly sand with a dip of 3°, the white sand 
showing fine examples of stratula; 154 yards further on, lenticular 
patches again appear, 40 feet from the beach. I will not, however, 
describe too minutely the details of the cliffs, and therefore pass over 
the changes occurring in the next quarter of a mile, and come to a con- 
erete road constructed up the face of the cliff by Lord Portman, who 
has also gone to considerable expense in pile-driving at its foot, it is 
to be feared, unavailingly. Even the road itself, unless constantly 
cleared, will be filled by blown and falling sand, which forms great 
dunes at the top of the cliff. The cliff here shows, in descending 
order, gravel, ochreous sand, white sand in stratula, white sand with 
iron stains, iron-coloured sand, pinkish clayey sand not holding water, 
orange sandy clay and sand, thick black lignitic sand, mottled white 
* L.c. p. 46. fig. 3, p. 47. fig. 4. 
