214 



EOCENE — BAGSHOT SANDS. 



[Ch. XVI. 



devoid of fossils, they contain marine shells in some places, among which 

 Venericardia plankosta (see fig. 206) is abundant, with Turritella sul- 

 eifera and Nummulites Icevigata. (See fig. 210, p. 215.) 



Fig. 206. 



Venericardia planieosta, Lam. 

 Cardita planiaosta, Deshayes. 



At Bracklesham Bay, near Chichester, in Sussex, the characteristic 

 shells of this member of the Eocene series are best seen ; among others, 

 the huge Cerithium giganteum, so conspicuous in the calcaire grossier of 

 Paris, where it is sometimes 2 feet in length. The volutes and cowries of 

 this formation, as well as the lunulites and corals, seem to favor the idea 

 of a warm climate having prevailed, which is borne out by the discovery 

 of a serpent, Palceophis typhoeus (see fig. 20V), exceeding, according to 



Fig. 207. 



Pala>opMs typhosus, Owen ; nn Eocene sea-serpent. Bracklesham. 

 | a, b. Vertebra, with long neural spine preserved. c. Two vertebra In natural articulation. 



Prof. Owen, 20 feet in length, and allied in its osteology to the Boa, Py 

 thon, Coluber, and Hydrus. The compressed form and diminutive size of 

 certain caudal vertebrae indicate so much analogy with Hydrus as to in- 

 duce the Hunterian professor to pronounce this extinct ophidian to have 

 been marine.* He had previously combated with much success the evi- 

 dence advanced to prove the existence in the ^Northern Ocean of huge sea- 

 serpents in our own times, but he now contends for the former existence in 

 the British Eocene seas, of less gigantic serpents, when the climate was 



* Palaeont. Soc. Monograph. Rept. pt. ii. p. 61. 



