59 



lime, were pointed out, showing on a small scale the method by 

 which the great caverns of Derbyshire, Cheddar, and other lime- 

 stone districts, have been formed. A careful search of debris 

 brought to light fragments of bone, oyster shells, flint flakes, 

 charcoal, and other evidences of human occupation. After passing 

 through Kingston and Worth Matravers, the brakes were left, and 

 a short walk over breezy downs brought the party to St. Aldhelm's 

 Head. Here, under the shade of the little Norman chapel, 

 lunch was enjoyed, and the Director gave an account of the 

 geological structure of the great cliff, on the chief headland of 

 which they were seated, concluding with a brief reference to the 

 history and archaeology of the ancient building which for so many 

 centuries had stood upon it. By the aid of a large coloured 

 diagram, which depicted a section of the strata from the Head, 

 through Corfe, to Wareham, it was shown that the cliff, formed 

 chiefly of Portland and Kimmeridge strata, was part of a great 

 monocline or upheaval of the strata which had pushed the beds 

 into a dome-shaped mass, on part of which they stood, whilst most 

 of the southern portion had now been carried away by the sea. 

 To the north, below Kingston, lay a trough of Wealden strata, 

 this again being bounded by the Greensand and Chalk, which had 

 also been forced up into the ridge of hills which traversed the Isle 

 of Purbeck. Beyond these were the Tertiary sands, clays and 

 gravels of the Hampshire basin — or at least its Dorset extension 

 westwards — which formed the heathlands around Wareham and 

 Poole Harbour. Owing to the intense heat of the day, some of the 

 party thought it best to avoid the long coast walk to Swanage, but 

 the majority started off, under Dr. Ord's guidance, following the 

 coastguard path. At Winspit Quarry the relationship of the 

 various beds of the Portland strata was well shown and explained 

 by the conductor. The cliffs at Seacombe and Dancing Ledge 

 were also visited, and Portland fossils were found. As the walk 

 proceeded, the heat seemed to increase and the party became 

 scattered, but all finally arrived safely at Durlston Head, where tea 

 was obtained, and the return from Swanage by boat or train com- 

 pleted a very interesting, though unusually fatiguing, geological 

 outing. 



. On August 1 6th, Mr. H. St. Barbe, of Lymington, 



Becton 1 Bunii conducted a very interesting excursion to Becton 

 y * Bunny and Hordle Cliffs. On arriving at the foot 

 of the cliffs each member was given a diagram showing the course 

 of the Bunny and the geological features of the district. Mr. St. 

 Barbe explained the junction of the highest beds of the Eocene — 

 the Barton and the Headon beds, which were the lowest of the 

 Oligocene series. The succession of strata revealed a gradual 

 passage from marine conditions, at some distance from a shore, 

 through the shoals and advancing delta of a great tidal river, up to 

 the purely fresh water inland reaches, which had been here and 

 there dammed into lakes or lagoons fed by the same stream. This 

 probably implied a slow continental upheaval, prevailing over the 



