119 
presently take in hand the Eocene flora. We may then discover 
in the various collections made since 1880 fresh finds of import¬ 
ance. 
The last visit of the Geologists’ Association to this neigh¬ 
bourhood was in 1910, when, on May 17th, it was my privilege to 
conduct the party along this section of the coast.* * The Bourne¬ 
mouth Natural Science Society (Geological Section) accompanied 
me in a final examination of the beds on May 15th, 1912,! since 
when the Undercliff Drive works have prevented further geological 
study. It seems probable, however, that there will be frequent 
heavy falls of rock on the new section of the drive, the cliffs of 
which are far more pliable than those of the first completed por¬ 
tion, and in these falls portions of leaf beds may be found from 
time to time if carefully searched for. 
Divisions of Eocene Strata in the Bournemouth District. 
(According to J. Starkie Gardner, with thickness in feet added). 
( Estuarine 
and Marine 
Upper \ Barton | 1. Upper 
Eocene ( Series ( 2 . Lower 
Brackle- (l. Upper 
Barton Sands 
Middle. 
Eocene 
.Barton Clays 
(Highcliff Sands ... 
sham-j 2. Middle - Hengistbury Head Beds 
Series (3. Lower (Boscombe Sands 
Bagshot 
Series 
Upper 
Middle 
B‘mouth Marine Beds 
Lower ( 
Eocene ] 
B’mouth Freshwater Beds 
3. Lower l Poole Pipe Clays 
London Clav 1 ... 
Woolwich and Reading Beds. 
Marine 
Marine 
Marine 
Marine 
Estuarine 
and Marine 
Freshwater 
Fluviatile 
Marine 
Marine and 
Estuarine . 
I S 
••• J 
90 ft. 
110 
25 
45 
110 
r 700 
j 
11 
11 
11 
11 
100 
70 
1 ) 
This classification is by far the most convenient for local pur¬ 
poses, but has not been generally accepted owing to difficulties 
of correlation with Bracklesham and Bagshot beds elsewhere. The 
chief difficulty consisting in the fact that it is impossible to com¬ 
pare land plants with marine animals, since the Bournemouth 
series contain only the former, and the Bracklesham series only 
the latter. Mr. Clement Reid * therefore advises a lower 
division to include the Poole (Lower Bagshot) and the Bourne¬ 
mouth Freshwater Beds, and considers that there exists a gradual 
upward passage thence into the more marine conditions of the 
Bracklesham Beds. In this case Gardner’s Bournemouth Marine 
Beds, or Upper Bagshot series, would represent these passage 
beds, and (according to the Geological Survey) be included in 
the Bracklesham. Locally this would be inconvenient, for the 
transition from fresh water to marine conditions is gradual, and 
difficult to discern, owing to the scarcity and ill-preserved nature 
of the few marine fossils found, whilst the change from the marine 
beds of the Bournemouth series to the yellow and white sands and 
* Proc. Geo. Assoc., vol. xxi., p. 518. 
t Proc. Bournemouth Nat. Sc. Soc., vol. iv., p. 53. 
* “ Geology of Bournemouth,” p. 3, Mem. Geol. Survey, 329. 
