357

EXCURSION TO THE , WHITSUNTIDE, 1906. Directors: THE PRESIDENT, G. W. COLENUTT, F.G.S., and REG. W. HOOLEY, F.G.S. Excursion Secretary: G. W. YOUNG, F.G.S. THE main party left London by the 5 p.m. train from Waterloo. Headquarters for the whole excursion were the Royal Eagle and Albany Hotels, , which were found very comfortable. Seventeen members stayed at the hotels, and several local resi­ dents joined each day. Saturday, :June 2nd.

Directors; THE PRESIDENT AND G. W. COLENUTT.

(RepD/·t by G. W. COLENUTT).

The members left Ryde by the 8.22 train for Yarmouth for the purpose ofexamining; the cliff sections at , Hamstead, and . After lea~'ing Yarmouth station the party proceeded to Yarmouth Common, where Mr. Colenutt called the attention of the members to the recent erosion of the coast-line, which has greatly altered since the Association visited the locality in 1895. A sea wall has lately been erected here to preserve the highway and the common. Diagrams were furnished by Mr. Colenutt, and these greatly aided the members in following the details of the coast sections. Proceeding along the high road for a short distance, the members descended to the shore at Bouldnor, and attention was here called to the fact that the basement bed of the Hamstead series (the Black Band), was now obscured at Yarmouth, but from here to nearly as far as Newtown River, the Hamstead Beds could be examined in the foreshore. The party walked eastward along the shore, and many fossils characteristic of the Hamstead marls and clays were found. The richly fossiliferous clays of the White Band were well exposed, and some time was spent in examining these deposits. Below Hamstead Cliff attention was directed to the extensive " mud-glacier" which in winter time is always gradually moving down towards the sea, and exposes the upper part of the Hamstead series. Time did not permit of the members ascending the cliff to examine the Marine Band at the top, but characteristic fossils (Voluta, Cerithium ornatulll, Corbu/a, etc.) were found in abundance on the weathered surface of the talus. Continuing their walk along the shore the members spent some time in further examining the sections of marl in the lower cliffs, 358 EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUNTIDE, 1906. and nearer Newtown River the Black Band was found to be well exposed below the shingle of the beach. The beds here rise up somewhat quickly, and the Marls were well in evidence along the shore, being succeeded by the two bands of Bembridge Limestone which stretch out to sea and form Hamstead Ledge. The Osborne Beds are masked by the recent accumulation of sand and shingle which is known as "Hamstead Duvver," and here the members halted for lunch. After lunch the walk was continued to the eastern end of the "duvver," where a boat was in readiness and the party was ferried across the entrance of the Newtown River. The cliffs in Thorness Bay then formed the subject of in­ vestigation. Near the entrance of the river several pieces of bones of Bos primigenius from the alluvium of the river were found on the beach, and a neolithic implement was also discovered. The upper part of the Osborne series only is seen in the cliffs here, and the brilliantly coloured clays yield no fossils. The strata gradually dip in an easterly direction, and the Bembridge Limestone "oon descends to the sea level and forms Saltmead Ledge. The upper band of Limestone is here of a very soft and earthy nature, and this is the only locality in the Island where the perfect shells of the Limnere are preserved; at all other places the fossils are seen in the form of casts only. Excellent specimens of these characteristic fossils were collected, as the Limestone was well exposed. The Bembridge Marls of Thorness Bay were thoroughly worked, and plenty of fossils were collected in the cliff and shore sections. Time did not permit of any work being done in the cliffs on the eastern side of the bay, and the members walked to Great Thorness Farm, where tea was obtained. The party then drove in brakes to Newport, calling on the way at Gunville Brickyard, where one pit showed a good section of Bracklesham Clays in a vertical position, with a peculiar drag over of the upper part of the pit, giving an appearance of a reversed dip; probably due to the steep slope of the hill. In another pit was seen the upper part of the Osborne Clays and the lower part of the Bembridge Limestone. The return journey from Newport was made by the 7.45 train, after an interesting and enjoyable day. The weather, at times threatening, fortunately remained fine.

The following day Mr.Colenutt led a small party to King's Quay to examine the Osborne Beds which are there fossiliferous, passing en route, , where the Bembridge Limestone was formerly quarrIed for building stone, and the picturesque ruins of Quarr Abbey. was crossed by ferry, and then on the shore at King's Quay a thin band in the Osborne clay was found EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUKTIDE, 1906. 359 to yield the small fish, Clupea vectettsis, but owing to a temporary accumulation of shingle only a small portion of the fossiliferous band could be examined. In the evening Mr. Colenutt invited the party to inspect his collection, which proved of great interest, as all the strata in the Island were represented, especially those of the Tertiary formations.

n'hzt-.Yollda)·, June 4th.

Director: REG. W. HOOLEY, F.G.S.

(R'fort ly THE DIRECTOR.) The members took the field for this excursion in glorious weather. An early start from Ryde in the morning to Newport Station was follQwed by a long drive to Shepherd's . Alighting at the spot where the Military Road crosses the chine the Perna Bed, near the base of the Lower Greensand, was pointed out. Forming Atherfield Point it rises at a low angle and outcrops at the top of the cliff near "Tie Pits," and is exposed in this chine on its curve along the northern flank of the anticline, past the village of that name, and Brook, to , where, as at Atherfield, it passes out to sea. At the latter place its position may be followed by the eye for some distance across the bay, for at particular times the flow of the tide causes rougher water over it. On the cliff near the mouth of the chine, where a good view of the cliffs and surrounding country is obtained, the Director explained the geology of the district, and the fauna and flora to be found in the section to be examined. Attention was called to a curious small anticline on the eastern flank of the chine, which also appears on the west side. Three prominent seams occur, each about two inches thick. The two lowest are Cyrena limestone, and the uppermost a band of ironstone. Each are separated by about IS feet of shales, The peculiarity is, that the upper Cyrena limestone is bent into an anticline, whilst the band of ironstone and lower Cyrena limt:stone are unaffected. The steepest side of the anticline is to the south, contrary to the great anticlines of the south:east of England. It is not due to sagging of the beds. In thne it is probably coincident with the formation of the main anticline. The old channel of Shepherd's Brook was next examined. In Fitton's day, this brook poured its waters, after many turns and twists, into Cowleaze Chine, and thence into the sea. Now it runs straight into the sea 90 feet below its ancient bed; having cut through the many feet of Wealden Shales, and the thick bed of sandstone which forms the bottom of this chine. Folks of the country-side speak of their grandfathers having 360 EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUNTIDE, 1906. told them, that, in their day, a road passed along the top of the cliff, and only a low bridge was necessary to enable the crossing over the chine to be made. Local legend also has it, that the stream was diverted because a shepherd dammed the water back from Cowleaze Chine to lessen the distance he had to walk for watering his flock, and thus an inchoate breach was made through the shales direct to the sea, instead of meandering parallel to it. It is well to record the date of the visit of the Association, for the denudation of the strata composing the cliff has been so great in recent years that soon all traces of the old channel will be obliterated. Walking down and up the sides of Cowleaze Chine and along the cliff to Barnes High, a precipitous descent brought them to the shore near a green coloured bed full of lignite, from which many Dinosaun"an bones 'lnd teeth, Goniopholis teeth, fruits, seeds, and Unio are obtained, but as eften happens on show occasions it gave up only two or three specimens of Unto to the researches of many hammers. The two characters of the \Vealden strata of Atherfield were noted. The lower group consisting of red, mottled and varie­ gated clays, marls, and sandstones; and the upper of blue shales with thin seams of limestone and thick sandstone. The extreme inconstancy of any given bed of the Wealden strata was well illustrated by a bed which near Cowlea,ze Chine is a compact sandstone and a few hundred yards westward has passed into grey shales, from which the Director procured a fine series of Vertebra, and the bones of the pelvic girdle of Iguanodon bernissartensis in 1890. The Hypsilophodon Bed at the junction of the variegated strata with the blue shales could te traced, but was generally much hidden by rain-wash and talus. Near Cowleaze Chine attention was called to a thin seam of shale underlying the sandstone that forms the bottom of this chine as the first horizon where estuarine conditions commence to be recorded. Splenials of the Pycnodont, Calodus Mantelli, and spines of Hybodus are found here, and one of the latter was discovered after a brief search. Passing the massive sandstone that rising from the beach near Shepherd's Chine forms and outcrops at Barnes High, a fern bed a few feet above was worked, and many portions of Londzopteris Mantelli were secured. At" Tie Pits" a deep and long inrlentation in the coast line was seen extending about J 50 yards and 50 yards deep, from which, in the autumn of ]9°4, a huge "founder" of Wealden Shales took place. A few feet of the Atherfield Clay, and the Perna Bed, which also fell, alone remain to be scoured away by the next "ground" sea. The" founder" did not topple over, but gradually sank, pushing its foot across the beach into the sea. The Director mentioned EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUNTJDE, 1906. 361 that he had obtained, washed out of this, many fine and valuable specimens which were cast up by the waves free of the matrix. Specimens of Cyrena lime~tone were collected here, and a short way farther east, from two thin bands of ironstone, together with dwarfed individuals of Exog)lra. The thin band of "Beef" (calcite) showing cone in cone structure was reached near Atherfield Point, where lunch was taken. The party then began collecting fossils from the blocks of Perna rock which had fallen from the cliff, and many of the {;haracteristic species were gathered. The junction of the Wealden Shales and Lower Greensand was particularly well exposed, and several interesting hand specimens were obtained, amongst which was one containing Area and Panopcea in the Lower Greensand, and Cyrena and Lonehopteris Manle/li in the Wealden Shales. In the grit bed teeth of Lepidotus and rolled sharks' teeth and pieces of bone were found. The Atherfield Clay, with its blue colour and soft unctuous nature, contrasting. so greatly with the green sandy grit of the Perna Bed, was next examined, and though it yielcis many fossils-especially Pinna and Panoprea in the upright position they occupied in life-the watch did not allow time to find them. Towards the top of the bed the small lobster Meyeria vectensis, the crab Mitltradles 'llee/ensis, and an echinus occur. The hard calcareous nodules of the Ferruginous Sands, called by Fitton the OJ Crackers," were investigated in silu, and scveral were broken by sledge-hammer wielded by the coxswain of the Atherfield Life Boat. It is only in the soft sandy hearts of these blocks that fossils can be obtained, although they may often be notcd running through the mass; esptcially is this the case with Gervillia Hopliles, Area, Tltetis, Trigonia, Naliea, Apporhais, and several other specimens were disinterred. Reaching the Lower Gyphrea (Exogyra) Group of Fitton, fallen blocks of the iron-coloured beds of the base yielded Terebratula sella, Rltynehonella gibbsiani, and other shells; but no sharks' teeth, which are sometimes common, were found. The Scaphite and Crioceras Groups were pointed out as they were passed, and specimens of both these fossils were seen in situ. A good specimen of Scaphites (Ancyloceras) gigas in a fallen block on the beach, Mr. C. J. Coleman, helped by the President, chiselled out in three pieces. , a gorge cut through the Upper Crioceras, and Walpen Sand, and Clay Beds of Fitton, by an ever running stream, was studied, also Ladder Chine, where in many seasons the surface drainage contiguous to it finds a course, or after a storm, but its flow is at all times of short duration. This chine has been excavated almost entirely by win.d action, and many interesting results of this erosion were examined and several "snapshots" taken by the photographIc section of the party. 362 EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUNTIDE, 1906.

The cliff was ascended through this chine, the top of which is surmounted by the chert gravel of the Old . The way was made by the Military Road to the Clarendon Hotel, , where tea was thoroughly enjoyed after the arduous walk along the shingle beach. At 6 p.m. the party drove back to Newport, whence headquarters at Ryde were reached by train at a late hour.

Tuesday, yune 5th.

Directors: THE PRESIDENT, ROllERT S. HERRIES, M.A., V.P.G.s., AND REG. W. HOOLEY, F.G.s.

(Repartby REG. W. HOOLEY.) In spite of the late return home the previous night the party were early astir. Ryde Station was left by the 8.22 a.m. train, and Freshwater Station reached by 9.37 a.m. The journey to was made on foot. On reaching Alum Bay the end of the pier was sought, for it is the only spot, without taking a boat, where a good general view of the section from the Chalk to the Bembridge Limestone is obtained. Here the Directors explained the geology and the points to be particularly studied that day. It was decided to examine the strata in ascending order; a move was therefore made along the beach to the Chalk. The dip of the Chalk here is about 80 degrees to the north. It is the Upper Chalk with flints. As is the case in other parts of the Island where the Chalk is greatly inclined the flints, some of them of great size, may be observed completely shatterpd, but held together by the mass of Chalk surrounding them, so that on freeing them they fall to pieces. Some are in their centres almost pulverised. This fracturing has been caused by the force that upheaved the whole. Mr. Ceo. W. Young here made some interesting remarks in regard to the Chalk, particularly pointing out that the whole of the cliff face from this spot to was in the zone of Belemnile/la mucronala, and largely coincided with the dip in the beds. The face of the Chalk upon which the Woolwich and Reading Beds had been lying was splendidly exposed. Many potholes were to be seen filled with sand, clay, and rolled pebbles, and near the top of the cliff a fresh denuded surface showed rounded bosses of Chalk, worn thus by the play of water around them, as is to be seen on any shore between high and low water mark, or, for instance, on the hard "platina" of the Wealden Beds in Brighstone or Brook Bay. At the base of the Woolwich and Reading Beds a layer of rolled flint pebbles occurs. No green­ coated flints are found here. Mr. Whitaker said that this was different to any other junction of these strata he had examined. The Woolwich and Reading and London Clay Beds were then investigated. No fossils in the former, but in the latter EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUNTIDE, 1906. 363

Pinna affinis, Petullculus brevirostris, and others were found. In the upper part of the cliff the reversed dip of the beds was noticed; in the lower portion they are vertical. The pipeclay in the Lower Bagshot Beds, which has yielded numerous perfect leaves of tropical plants, and which was known to Mantell, was described by the Directors. Although for many years it has been badly exposed, and poor specimens obtained, it is now prominent, standing well out from the sandy beds on either side of it. After splitting asunder several lumps, a fine leaf of Ficus and also portions of Laurus, Quercus and others were discovered. Passing the Bournemouth Freshwater Series of Gardner, the Bracklesham Beds were reached. The coal or lignite seams with the under-clay in which the vegetation grew afforded much interest. Several bands from one to two feet in thickness were examined. Another bed splendidly exposed was the pebble conglomerate in the Bracklesham Beds, through the denudation of the whIte and yellow sands underlying them in time. Some of the pebbles are nearly a foot in length and all lie with their longer axes parallel with the lines of bedding. Running vertically up the cliff they cannot fail to attract the attention of even' the least curious, for it is apparent nothing known to man could thus have deposited them. A recent fall of the Barton Clay gave a good opportunity for the collection of fossils. Passing to the Headon Hill Sands, their junction with the Lower Headon Series was finely displayed. At the north corner of Headon Hill the Headon beds were worked for fossils and many characteristic specimens obtained. Time did not permit the climb over the small cliff made by the thick bed of Limestone near the top of the Upper Headon, to examine the Osborne Beds and Bembridge Limestone. An extra half-hour had already been absorbed, and this was regained by deciding to partake of lunch in the brakes en route to Brook, which place was reached about 3 p m. Immediately proceeding to Hanover Point, the fossil" Pine­ raft" was examined. The tide was very favourable for this, although many persons have taken away blocks for various purposes, and, in spite of the fact that a ship recently ran ashore on it, much yet remains. At certain times, when the beach is removed by the sea, logs are to be seen sticking out of the foot of the cliff at the Point; more therefore remains to be uncovered. The trunks; and portions are lying scattered, and coated with sea wrack, between high and low water mark. One tree measures 24 feet with a diameter of three feet, and is the longest to be found. Very curious arborescent markings were noted in the section of some of the trees. Teeth and scales of Lepidotus mantelli were found in the sandstone in which the stems of the trees are embedded. The Director (Mr. Hooley 364 EXCURSION TO THE I~LE OF WIGHT, WHITSU}lTIDE, 1906. had now taken sole charge) gave a brief account of the Pine-raft, and of the section from to Afton Down, pointing 'Out the deep red marls the lowest beds exposed at the surface in the Isle of Wight, and the small chine where Hulke obtained

B'~~~~~~ WEST FIG. I.-SECTION ABOUT 150 YARDS WEST OF SMALL CHINE, TO THE WEST OF COMPTON GR.4.NGE CHINE, COMPTON BAY, ISLE OF WIGHT. Thickness. ft. in. r. Grey Shales . 2 0 2. Cyrena Limestone 0 2 3. Shales .• I 3 4. Iron Clay Stone I 0 5. Grey Shale I 9 6. Sandy Shale I 2 7. Blue Shale 8 6 8. Sandstone 0 4 9. Shale .. I 2" 10. Iron Clay Stone ...... 0 6 II. Shale . 5 ft. from bed 10 to 10 == 2 ft. 6 in. stratum folded double. A. Soil B. Talus Variegated marls on the west faulted against this section. REG. W. HOOLE\'. many fine reptilian remains. He referred to the repetition of both groups of Wealden strata, the variegated and the shales, giving the evidence for and against a fault being a cause, and stating that the cliff at the probable position was now well cleared of talus, so that the second series of variegated beds could be EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHITSUNTIDE, 1906. 365 shown to be faulted against the shales. Proceeding along Compton Bay the section of alluvium near Shippard's or Compton Grange Chine containing hazel nuts, elytra of beetles, and wood was visited. Nuts were found underlying 6 ft. of brick-earth, and again below 2 ft. of gravel. This alluvium is newer than that covering the contiguous cliffs. Near here, intercalated in the older gravel above mottled Wealden Beds, a mass of blue clay was noted, probably derived from the denudation of Wealden Shales. About IS0 yards west of a small chine, also west of Compton Grange Chine, a clean section showed contorted Wealden Shales as in Fig. 1. Beds II, 10, 9, and 8 curve in a semicircle. The remaining beds do not take this curve, but bend at right angles, and thus are vertical for a few feet, then again turning they begin to take the true dip. Through slip the portion of the cliff, in which this section occurs, shows a section at right angles that is bearing inland. A few yards along this variegated marls are lying directly against these contorted shales. The line of junction was visible on removing with a pick a few inches of wash that hid it. The trend of the fault is apparently E.N.E. The presence of a fault has been suggested by different observers, but some have thought.otherwise, for the reason, amongst others, that the upper series of shales, being only about half the thickness of the lower, it seemed hardly possible that they could have thinned out so considerably in so short a distance as the presence of this fault proves them to do, for the upper series of shales and marls must be correlated with the lower here. This agrees with the one group of shales and variegated strata at Atherfield and . Leaving here the Atherfield clay was examined at the top of the cliff, and the Perna Bed, with Gryphrea (Exogyra) sinuata in dis­ placed portions of the cliff. This clay is the cause of the rough and tumble state of the cliff here. I t was noted how great is the contrast between the strata of the Lower Greensand in this section and that of the Atherfield. Time would not permit more than a passing notice of the remaining strata to the Chalk. The ascent of the cliff was made up the talus formed by the Gault Clay and Freshwater Bay was reached. Tea was provided at Stark's Hotel. The party took the 7.5 p.m. train back to Ryde.

Wednesday, yUill 6th.

lJirectolS" THE PRESIDENT AND G. W. COLENUTT.

(Report by G. W. COLESUTT.) The last day of the excursion was devoted to the examination of the well-known sections of Chalk, Eocene, and Oligocene 366 EXCURSION TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT, WHlTSUNTlDE, 1906.

Beds in Whitecliff Bay, and the party left Ryde by the 9.19 train for . Proceeding through Centurions copse, the way led across fields to the edge of the cliff, about the middle of WhitecIitf Bay, and here the party descended to the beach. Attention was first directed to the Culver Cliff, where the uppermost zone of the Chalk can be seen, but the tide was too high to permit the members getting round the end of the cliff. The Reading Beds yield few fossils here, and the London clay also is not rich in organic remains. The Bagshot, Bracklesham, and Barton Beds were in turn examined, and from them the characteristic fossils were collected. The lower, middle, and upper Headon Beds were seen in the cliff and yielded their usual organic remains. The Osborne Beds and the Bembridge Lime­ stone also received ample attention, and a hasty examination was made of the Marine Band crowded with Ostrea veetensis which directly overlies the Limestone. The party walked back to Brading, and after tea at the Wheatsheaf Inn returned to Ryde by the 4.48 train en route for the mainland. REFERENCES. I-inch Geological Map, Special Sheet, Isle of Wight, colour printed, 2s. 6d. 1844. IBBETSON, Capt., LL.B., and FORBES, Prof. EDWARD.-HOn the Section between and Atherfield Point," Proc. Geo!. Assoc. 1847. FITTON, Dr. W. H.-" A Stratigraphical Account of the Section from Atherfield to Rocken-end, etc.," Quart. :fourn. Geo!. Soc., vol. iii, P· 289. 1847. MANTELL, Dr. G. A.-" Geological Excursions Round the Isle of Wight, etc." Second Edition, 1851. Third Edition, 1854. 1856. FORBES, Prof. EDWARD.-" Tertiary Fluvio-marine Formation of the Isle of WiRht," Allm. Geo!. Survey. 1862. BRISTOW. H. W.-" Geology, Isle of Wight." Mem. Geo!. Surve.v. 1870. CODRINGTON, T.-" On the Superficial Deposits of the South of Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, Quart. Journ. Geo!. S,c., vol. xxvi. 1871. JUDD, Prof. J. W.-" On the Punfield Formation," Qua,-t. :f0urn. Geo!..Soc., vol. xxvii. 1872. MEYER, C. J. A.-" On the Wealden as a Fluvio-Iacustrine Formation, etc." Quart. :1ourn. Geo!. Soc.• vol. xxviii, p. 243. 1879. GARDNER. J. S.-" On the British Eocenes and their Deposition," Proc. Gto!' Assoc., vol. vi, p. 83. 1880. JUDD, J. W.-" On the Oligocene Strata of the Hampshire Basin," Quart.."fou,-n. Geo!. Soc., vol. xxxvi, p. 137, with PI. VII. 1881. KEEPING. H., and TAWNEY, E. B.-"On the Beds of Headon Hill and ," Quart. :f0ltrn. Geo!. Soc., vol. xxxvii, p. 85, with PI. V. 1888. GARDNER, J. S .• KIlEPING, H., and MONCKTON, H. W -" The Upper Eocene comprising the Barton and Upper Bagshot Formations," Quart. :Journ. GIO!. Soc., vol. xliv. p. 578. 1889. REID. C., and STRAHAN, A.-"Geology of the Isle of Wight," by H. W. BRISTOW, Second Edition, Geo!. Survey Memoir. For previous excursions to the Isle of Wight see" Record of Excursions," pp. 298-3°4, and Proc. GdO!. Assoc., vol. xii, 1891, and vol. xiv, 1895.