48 
DESCRIPTION OF THE COAST. 
Several remarkable fossils, which Mr. Mantell describes from the 
gault of Sussex, are found at Speeton ; and generally a great analogy may 
be perceived between the fossils of the blue clay of Speeton and Knap- 
ton, and those which belong to the argillaceous beds which lie beneath 
the chalk in Kent and Sussex. JBut some of the Speeton fossils bear so 
great a resemblance to those of the Kimmeridge clay, that Professor 
Sedgewick has been led to refer them to that stratum. The evidence on 
this subject may be more completely unfolded in the chapter devoted to 
organic remains ; but, in the mean time, I may state, that my observa- 
tions lead me to refer at least the upper part of the Speeton clay to 
the gault of Cambridge and Sussex ; and I have before said that the 
lower argillaceous range along the north side of the vale of Pickering, 
belongs to the Kimmeridge clay. 
Like the chalk under which it sinks, the Speeton clay dips south- 
ward. It is exposed in the broken cliff to an elevation of two hundred 
feet, and I had once, (1826,) in a particular condition of the tides, an 
opportunity of seeing some harder beds than common, with compressed 
ammonites at low-water mark. Some remarkable contortions of the 
clay, which appear on the shore towards its northern termination, are 
represented in one of the detached sections. It is covered, even where 
highest, by a great quantity of diluvial clay and pebbles ; and as we 
proceed northward, it sinks continually, and, in less than a mile from its 
first appearance, is lost below the level of the sea. The cliffs which 
succeed as far as Filey, are much varied and broken, and consist of 
diluvial clay and pebbles ; but blue clay, containing belemnites, shews 
itself in one or two places, as drawn in the section. On approaching 
Filey, we observe on the cliff top, seventy-eight feet high, a small lacus- 
trine deposit, which occupies about one quarter of an acre. It consists of 
light blue clay, peaty clay, blue clay, white clay, and peat, altogether four 
feet thick, upon sand and gravel. 
It deserves remark, that the diluvial clay north of Flamborough 
head is decidedly of a redder colour than that which is found in Hol- 
derness. This circumstance is very evident in Filey bay, where the 
