The Geology of the South-East of England

Front matter

THE GEOLOGY OF TUB SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND. London : Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode, New-Street-Square. ' I 7? ffewun.' lilheq STRATA os TH1IÆATE FOffiES.T, in SUSSEX /' .....-,. .';, ■ --T-* '* r, . • THE GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND. BY GIDEON MANTELL, F.R.S. FELLOW OF THE ROVAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS; AND OF THE LINNEAN AND GEOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON; MEMBER. OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF SCIENCE; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF. PHILADELPHIA ; OF THE FHILOMATHIC SOCIETY OF PARIS; OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF YORKSHIRE ; ETC. ETC. " Geology, in the magnitude and sublimity of the objects of which it treats, undoubtedly ranks next to Astronomy in the scale of the sciences." — Sir J. F. VV. Hlrscuel. LONDON: LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMAN PATERNOSTER-ROW . 1833.

To HIS MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY WILLIAM THE FOURTH, THIS WORK ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND, is, WITH HIS MAJESTY'S GRACIOUS PERMISSION, MOST HUMBLY INSCRIBED, BV his majesty's faithful and devoted SUBJECT, AND SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. Castle Place, Lewes; April, 1833. A

Preface

. The discovery of an unknown fossil reptile in the strata of Tilgate Forest, induced me to lay before the Geological Society of London, a Me moir on the Organic Remains of the Wealden which had been collected since my last publication on the geology of this district. By permission of the President and Council, that memoir was withdrawn ; and it was suggested to me that, as my former works were out of print, a volume which should combine the most interesting portions of the " Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex," with an account of the recent discoveries, might be acceptable both to the natural philosopher, and the general reader. Agreeably to this suggestion the present work lias been written ; and the kind and liberal manner in which the proposals for its publication have been received by so many distinguished and learned characters, who have thus testified an interest in my researches, has afforded me the highest gratification and encouragement a .

PREFACE.

. Engaged in the same responsible and anxious duties as at the period of my former publications, I solicit the indulgence of the reader for the imperfections and omissions of this volume, which, like its predecessors, has been composed during short and uncertain intervals of leisure, after active and laborious professional exertions. Castle Place, Lewes ; April, 1833. ERRATUM. Page 61. lines 14, IS. ser " The chalk without flints, the lower chalk with flints,' read " The chalk with flints, the lower chalk without flints." CONTENTS. Tage Introductory Observations XIII

Chapter I. Physical Geography Of The County Of Sussex

1 CHAP. II. GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF SUSSEX. ALLUVIUM. — ENCROACHMENTS OF THE SEA 11 CHAP. III. DILUVIUM. Brighton Cliffs. — Strata East of Kemp Town. — Cliffs between Kemp Town and Rottingdean. — Cliffs West of Rottingdean. — Organic Remains of the Diluvial Deposits - 27 CHAP. IV. TERTIARY FORMATIONS. Erratic Blocks of Sandstone. — London Clay. — Sandstone, or arenaceous Limestone of Bognor. — Plastic Clay - 44 CHAP. V. THE CHALK FORMATION. 1. Upper or Flinty Chalk Minerals. — 2. Lower Chalk. — Minerals - X CONTENTS. Page 93 154 180 CHAP. VI. ORGANIC REMAINS OF THE UPPER AND LOWER CHALK. Vegetable Remains. — Zoophytes: Ventriculites — Choanites — Radiaria — Marsupites. — Asteria. — Echini. — Crustacea. — Annelides, Conchifera, Mollusca, &c. — Ichthyolites. — Reptiles CHAP. VII. 3. CHALK MARL. 4.

FIRESTONE, OR MERSTHAM BEDS. 5. GALT, OR FOLKSTONE MARL. BLUE CHALK MARL. 6. SHANKLIN, OR LOWER GREEN SAND. Minerals. — Organic Remains of the Chalk Marl. — Fossils of the Gait - CHAP. VIII. THE WEALDEN FORMATION. 1. Weald Clay. — Organic Remains ofthe Weald Clay. — 2. Hastings Beds. — 3. Ashburnham Beds. — Strata around Hastings. — Hastings Beds in the Interior ofthe Country. — Uckfield Rocks. — Ironstone and Lignite. — Tilgate Forest. — Lower Group of the Wealden Strata, including the Ashburnham Beds .----. CHAP. IX. DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANIC REMAINS OF THE WEALDEN, AND PARTICULARLY OF THOSE OF THE STRATA OF TILGATE FOREST. Vegetable Remains. — Testacea. — Crustacea. — Fishes. — Chelonian Reptiles, or Turtles. — Saurians. — CONTENTS. XI Page 232 289 334 362 On the Analogy between the Organic Remains of the Tilgate Beds and those of Stonesfield, near Oxford ------ CHAP. X. OBSERVATIONS ON THE FOSSIL REMAINS OF THE HYLÆOSAURUS, AND OTHER SAURIAN REPTILES, DISCOVERED IN THE STRATA OF TILGATE FOREST, IN SUSSEX __"-*•-- CHAP. XI. RESULTS OF THE GEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE SOUTH-EAST OF ENGLAND