552 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [June 8, 
field is one of the richest depéts of Elephantine and Cervine re- 
mains, and also of the Rhinoceros etruscus*; and, judging from its. 
position on the same horizon, and from its mineral and fossil con- 
tents, it can scarcely be doubted that it is an extension or continua- 
tion of the Bacton and Mundesley Forest-bed. 
The Chillesford clay here and in a gorge between Kessingland and 
Pakefield, a few yards inland, is well developed. As Mr. Prestwich 
admits the presence of the Chillesford clay at Kessingland, and the 
Forest-bed is to be seen there on the beach beneath it, it is unne- 
cessary for me to add more in support of my statement; but I am 
desirous to submit to the Geological Society some observations and 
suggestions with respect to the real position of the Forest-bed. 
In order to ascertain the true position of the Forest-bed, it is 
requisite to have an insight into its very complex nature. The soil 
of the Forest-bed. appears to consist of an argillaceous sand and 
gravel, or a compound of both, and to have been deposited in an 
estuary. Bones of EHlephas meridionalis, together with a great 
variety of deer and other mammals, sharply fractured, but not 
rolled, are found in it, especially in the gravel, which is called the 
‘‘Elephant-bed” on that account. These are associated with the 
bones of whales and fragments of wood, indicating that the estuary 
was open to the sea, most probably northwards, for the admission of 
the whales; while it appears to have been closed at the Straits of 
Dover and Calais, to afford a passage for the mammals into this 
country. 
This deposit of the soil may be regarded as the first phase of the 
Forest-bed; and here, we may observe, a long interval may have 
intervened between this and the second phase, which dates from the 
raising of the soil to the surface of the waters and the growth of the 
forest upon it. In this the remains of the ZH. antiquus are most 
abundant; other varieties of the elephant are found here, which it 
is unnecessary for the subject of the present inquiry to particularize, 
together with Fhinoceros etruscus and Trogontherium Cuviert. This 
may be regarded as the true Forest-bed; the stools of the trees 
belonging to it are visible along the coast at various places from 
Kessingland to Cromer. : 
The third phase commences with the gradual going down and 
submergence of the Forest-bed on the gathering of waters upon it. 
First freshwater, then fluvio-marine, and lastly marine beds (in- 
cluding the Chillesford clay) were successively deposited, and con- 
tain their respective faunas. A fourth phase might be added, which 
consists in the continuance of the undulating ridges of the Forest- 
bed above water after the deposit of the freshwater and fluyio-marine 
beds. This may be observed at Kessingland and Happisburgh. At 
the latter place the bones of a goat, or some ovine animal, were 
found, together with hazel-nutst. 
* A specimen described by Mr. Boyd Dawkins (Proceedings of the Geological 
Society, Jan. 8, 1868) was obtained at Pakefield. 
t A fuller description was given in a paper entitled ‘The Anglo-Belgian 
Basin,’ read at the Meeting of the British Association at Nottingham. 
