304 



BEPOETS OF THE PEOCEEDmGS OF GEOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETIES. 



Peoceedikgs of the Geological Society of Loi^doi^. — May 26, 1858. — 1. 

 " On the Pleistocene Sea-Toed of the Sussex Coast, being the Western Extension of 

 the Raised Sea-beach of Brighton." By J. Prestwich, Esq., E R.S., F.G.S. 



The author first observed that the well-known raised beach at Brighton, described 

 by Dr. Mantell, has been since extended by Sir B, Murchison to Hove, and by 

 Mr. Dixon to Lancing and Broadwater near Worthing ; and that Mr. Godwin- 

 Austen has described some marine beds, which he ascribes to the same age, on the 

 coast between Bognor andBracldeshani. He then proceeded to state the results of 

 his examination of the country between Brighton and Havant. Traces of this 

 old sea-beach are, in Mr. Prestwich's opinion, to be seen on the slightly raised 

 ground at the base of the challc-hills east of Arundel, at a distance of three or 

 four miles from the sea. It is much more distinct westward of Arundel, and can 

 be followed to near Chichester. In a wood at a short distance north of the road 

 from Arundel to Chichester, and about two miles from the former, these beach- 

 deposits apiDcar as a bed of sand about seven feet thick, with thin patches of 

 shingle, and overlaid by subangular flint-gravel. On the brow of Avisford Hill 

 the same bed of sand is seen to overlie the mottled clays ; and in a sand-pit in the 

 wood east of Slindon Common, similar pebbly sand, at least 16 feet thick, is seen 

 to be overlaid by partially rounded flint -shingle, about three feet thick, and both 

 to be covered by ferruginous sandy clay full of large angular flints, which occupies 

 also a furrow excavated through the shingle into the sand. A mass of brick-earth, 

 10 feet by 8, forms a core to the ferruginous clay in the furrow. It is to be 

 remarked that the sand-bed is here about 100 feet above the sea-level ; and also 

 that it is intersected by a deep dell. The angular flint gravel, underlaid by the 

 sand, stretches across Slindon Common, occurs at Broxgrove Common, and at 

 intervals towards Goodwood. At Waterbeach, adjoining Goodwood, a sand-pit 

 shows, in descending order, 1. ferruginous clay, full of angular flints, two to six 

 feet; 2. chalk -ru.bble, about nine feet thick, containing small angular flints, and 

 with a furrowed surface ; 3. fine ash-coloured sand, slightly micaceous, with thin 

 .seams of concretionary sandstone, some few boulders of chalk, and friable shells. 



The shingle-bed, seen at Avisford, is here replaced by chalk-rubble, like that 

 overlying the old beach at Brighton ; but no shells nor bones were found. Shells 

 of the common Mytilus and the edible Cardiuvi are found in the sand, but they are 

 usually very friable ; and in the holes made by Pholades on the large lumps of hard 

 white chalk occurring in this sand, specimens of Purpura lapillus occur, whilst 

 small Balani are attached to the siu'face of these chalk-boulders. A specimen of 

 Echinocyamus pusilliis was also met vv^ith. This sand deposit, which the author 

 believes to be identical with the old Brighton beach, he traces also v/estward of 

 Goodwood to near Lavant and probably to Bourne Common. 



2. " On the Sedimentary and other External Eelations of the Palaeozoic Eossils 

 of the state of New York." By J. J. Bigsby, M.D., E.G.S. 



The object sproposed in this inquiry were — to give more precision to facts as yet 

 imperfectly ascertained, to discover new materials for the history of these earliest 

 times, and to treat of new points of connection between the Palaeozoic Basins of Xew 

 York and Wales. The first part of this memoir commenced with a few observations 

 on the agencies by which the palaeozoic sediments or sea-bottoms were laid 

 down, namely, 1st the constant and superficial, or Neptunian, and 2nd the modify- 

 ing or occasional and subterranean (Plutonic) ] and then proceeded to describe their 

 niineral character. In the second part, the distribution and immediate relatior^- 

 o[' ]>al;v(r/,oic auimal life in the state of New York were considered; and in thetlnrd 

 j ;irt 11k' vocuvrcnce ov vertical range of fossils was treated of in detail. Lastly 

 1 1 10 ro- iiUs arrivcil at by the author vrere given as reflections presenting themselves 

 on a Mivvoy ol" i\\o niu'iont and vastly prolonged processes that laid dowm the 

 palaH)/,o;v strata of >,o\v York. The imity of design and predetermination of the 

 compute idea nianilest in these geological pha'nomena, — the evidences of direct 



