48 



Osborne, freshwater, 8-10 alternations, between arcs 15 and 1'. 

 Bembridge Lime-stone, freshwater, 3 alternations, between arcs 

 1' and 2'. 



Bembridge Oyster-bed, marine, at least 1 alternation, at 2'. 

 Bembridge Marl, freshwater, 6 alternations, arcs 2' and 3'. 

 Hempstead Marl, freshwater, and brackish, 3 — 4 alternations, 

 4' or 5'? 



Hempstead corbula beds, marine, incomplete at the top owing 

 to denudation, 1 alternation, arc 6'? 



The profiles of the various stages have been taken from 

 different parts of the island that have lain on different levels. 

 When we bear that in mind, the series may be fitted with the 

 curve, and corresponds, at any rate, tolerably well to it. 



The number of alternations of strata in the last continuous 

 part of this series of beds is about the same as in the contem- 

 poraneous beds contained in the Paris basin, although the beds 

 have nearly double the thickness, (80 m. in the Paris basin and 

 156 m. in the Isle of Wight). 



With the marine layer of Hempstead, England's marine 

 formations are interrupted, and first, again, in the Pliocene epoch 

 do signs of fresh lowerings under the sea appear. The basalts 

 and volcanic eruptions in Ireland and the Hebrides are doubtless, 

 at any rate, partly, Miocene. The basalt veins extend in some 

 places right across the whole of England, but the main eruptions 

 were on the Western side, and they can be traced thence across 

 the Faroe Islands right up to Iceland. 



We will now see whether we can fill out the curve from 7', 

 where the continuous profile of the Paris basin finishes off, up till 

 modern times. The uppermost bed of the Paris basin lies on the 

 border between the Oligocene and the Miocene epochs. As was 

 shown, above, the Miocene epoch in France contained 5 oscilla- 

 tions. In Siebenburg there are (cfr. Koch in Foldtani Kozlony 

 several places) 5 Miocene stages viz. the Koroder beds, the 

 Kettosmezo beds, the Hidalmas beds, the Mezoseger beds and 

 the Feleker beds. All these stages are marine. Even although 

 they are not everywhere separated by fresh-water formations, 



