280 



MIDDLE EOCENE FOKMATIONS. 



[Oh. XVI. 



ties are referred to the genus Testudo, but have some affinity to 

 Emys. On the whole, the Nebraska formation is probably newer 

 than the Paris gypsum, and referable to the Lower Miocene period, 

 as above defined. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



EOCENE FORMATIONS. 



Upper Eocene strata of England — Fluvio-marine series in the Isle of Wight and 

 Hampshire — Successive groups of Eocene mammalia — Boundary-line between 

 Lower Miocene and Eocene — Fossils of Barton Clay — British Middle Eocene — 

 Shells, nummulites, fishes, and reptiles of the Bagshot and Bracklesham beds — 

 Vegetation of Middle Eocene period — Lower Eocene strata of England — Fossil 

 plants and shells of the London Clay proper — Strata of Kyson in Suffolk — Plas- 

 tic clays and sands — Thanet sands — Eocene formations of France — Gypseous 

 series of Montmartre and extinct quadrupeds — Fossil footprints — Calcaire gros- 

 sier — Miliolites — Lower Eocene in France — Nummulitic formations of Europe, 

 Africa, and Asia —Their wide extent — Referable to the Middle Eocene period- — 

 Eocene strata in the United States — Section at Claiborne, Alabama — Colossal 

 cetacean — Orbitoidal limestone — Burr stone. 



The strata next in order in the descending series are those which 

 I term Upper Eocene. In the accompanying map, the position of 

 several Eocene areas is pointed out, such as the basin of the Thames, 



Fig. 210. 

 Map of the principal tertiary basins of the Eocene period. 



1:*-:-:-: : | Hypogene rocks and strata 



'"* ■ '■* older than the Devonian 



or Old Eed series. 



Eocene formations. 



N. B. The space left blank is occupied by secondary formations from the Devonian or old rod 

 sandstone to the chalk inclusive. 



part, of Hampshire, part of the Netherlands, and the country round 

 Paris. The three last-mentioned areas contain some marine and 



