34 
Mr. William Phillips on the 
II. Chalk without Flints, and with few Organic remains. . 
This stratum rises immediately at that part of the base of Shak- 
speare’s Cliff which is nearest to Dover, and is separated from the 
stratum containing numerous beds of organic remains, which reposes 
on it, by a bed of soft marie. As this marie, like all the others 
of the same nature that are visible in these cliffs, becomes friable and 
falls away by exposure, it serves as a certain guide to the stratifi- 
cation, and may be seen with little interruption for more than half 
the way to the signal-house above Folkstone, and at intervals for the 
other half ; so that the connexion of the two strata may be traced 
for five miles without difficulty. Without this aid, however, there 
could only have existed such hindrance as naturally arises from 
occasional verdure on the face of the less precipitous parts of the 
cliff, being those above the undercliff : for the chalk of the two 
strata differs greatly in appearance. That of the stratum I am 
describing is soft, and even white in comparison of that which 
lies upon it, though not so white as the chalk with few flints; and 
for six feet beneath the bed of marie, is of so sandy a texture 
occasionally, as to be even friable, but here and there it assumes 
the appearance and compactness of a sandstone. 
The nearly horizontal crevices in other parts of the cliff appear 
to be nearly parallel with the stratification ; but in this, the crevices 
differ from that position, and are even in a transverse direction; 
those that are nearly vertical are numerous, giving to the chalk in 
many places, an angular appearance, not common to any other 
parts of the cliff. It runs along the base of the cliff for somewhat 
less than half a mile, and in that space, affords, even on a close 
inspection, the traces of but few organic remains. 
It incloses masses of pyrites, some of which are crystallized 
