-

ptera are not unrepresented. In one instance, the pat: a butterfly's wing has escaped obliteration in the marlof Radaboj; and when we reflect on the remoteness of ne from which it has been faithfully transmitted to us, Fact may inspire the reader with some confidence as to the le nature of the characters which other insects of a more le texture, such as the beetles, may afford for specific mination. The Vanessa (fig. 180) retains, says Heer, of its colours, and corresponds with V. Hadena of India. In the Vienna basin are Oligocene strata with Cerithium tum in the marine layers and Melania in the freshwater Posits, with Mastodon tapiroides, Rhinoceros sansaniensis, Amyon, and Anchitherium.

The Miocene of India, in Sind, rests upon an important gocene series called the Nari series, which contains a chacteristic fauna of reef-building corals, and very flat Echinopads, with a few late Nummulites. No Nummulites are and in the Miocene strata above.

CHAPTER XVI.

EOCENE FORMATIONS.

Eocene areas of North of Europe-Table of English strata--Upper Eocene of England-Barton sands and clays-Middle Eocene of England-Shells, nummulites, fish, and reptiles of the Bracklesham beds and Bagshot sands-Plants of Alum Bay and Bournemouth-Bovey Tracey, Mull, and Antrim-Arctic Eocene flora-Lower Eocene of England-London clay fossils-Woolwich and Reading beds formerly called 'Plastic clay' -Thanet sands-Upper Eocene strata of France-Marine gypseous series of Montmartre and Sables moyens-Grès de Beauchamp-Calcaire grossier-Miliolite limestone-Glauconie grossière-Lower Eocene of France-Soissonais sands-Argile plastique-Sables de Bracheux-Rilly

Eocene areas of the North of Europe.-The strata next in order in the descendin In the accompanying in the North of E constructed I class Tertiary strata wh Oligocene. Non they occupy in too insignificant this scale. Th

ries, are those which I term Eocene. he position of several Eocene areas pointed out. When this map was

newer part of the Eocene, those een described in the last chapter as occur in the London Basin, and ampshire, as may be conceived, al area to be noticed in a map on er space in the Paris Basin between

c. Green marls, often abounding in a peculiar species of oyster, and accompanied by Cerithium, Mytilus, Arca, Nucula, &c.

d. Bembridge limestones, compact cream-coloured limestones alternating with shales and marls, in all of which land-shells are Fig. 167.

Fig. 168.

Fig. 169.

Bulimus ellipticus, Sow. Bembridge Limestone, nat, size.

Helix occlusa, Edwards, nat.
size. Bembridge Limestone,
Isle of Wight.

Paludina orbicularis, .
Bembridge.

common, especially at Sconce, near Yarmouth, as described by Mr. F. Edwards. The Bulimus ellipticus (fig. 167) and Helix occlusa (fig. 168) are among its best-known land-shells. Palu

One

dina orbicularis (fig. 169) is also of frequent occurrence. of the bands is filled with a little globular Paludina. Among the freshwater pulmonifera, Limnæa fusiformis, Sow. (fig. 170), and Planorbis discus (fig. 171) are the most generally distributed : the latter represents or takes the place of the Planorbis euomphalus (see fig. 174) of the more ancient Headon series. Chara

tuberculata (fig. 172) is the characteristic Bembridge 'gyrogonite' or seed-vessel.

Fig. 173.

From this formation on the shores of Whitecliff Bay, Dr. Mantell obtained a fine specimen of a fan palm, Flabellaria Lamanonis, Brong., a plant first obtained from beds of corresponding age in the suburbs of Paris. The well-known building-stone of Binstead, near Ryde, a limestone with numerous hollows caused by Cyrena which have disappeared and left the moulds of their shells, belongs to this subdivision of the Bembridge series. In the same Binstead stone Mr. Pratt and the Rev. Darwin Fox first discovered the remains of mammalia characteristic of the gypseous series of Paris, such as Palæotherium magnum, P. medium, P. minus, P. minimum, P. curtum, P. crassum ; also Anoplotherium commune (fig. 173), A. secundarium, Dichobune cervinum, and Charopotamus Cuvieri. The Paleothere, above alluded to, resembled the living tapir in the form of the head, and in having a short proboscis, but its molar teeth were more like those of the rhinoceros. Palæotherium magnum was of the size of a horse, about four or five feet in height.

Osborne or St. Helen's series.-This group is of fresh and brackish-water origin, and very variable in mineral character and thickness. Near Ryde, it supplies a freestone much used for building, and called by Professor Forbes the Nettlestone grit. In one part ripple-marked flagstones occur, and rocks with fucoidal markings. The Osborne beds are distinguished by peculiar species of Paludina, Melania, and Melanopsis, as also of Cypris and the seeds of Chara.

Headon series.-These beds are seen both in Whitecliff Bay, Headon Hill, and Alum Bay, or at the east and west extremities of the Isle of Wight. The upper and lower portions are freshwater, and the middle are of mixed origin, sometimes brackish and then marine. Everywhere Planorbis euomphalus (fig. 174) characterises the freshwater deposits, just as the allied form, P. discus (fig. 171) does the Bembridge limestone. The brackish-water beds contain Potamomya plana, Cerithium mutabile, and Potamides cinctus (fig. 37, p. 31), and the marine beds Venus (or Cytherea) incrassata, a species common to the Limbourg beds and Grès de Fontainebleau, of the Oligocene series. The prevalence of marine species is most conspicuous in some of the central parts of the formation.

Among the shells which are widely distributed through the

Headon series are Neritina concava (fig. 176), Limnæa caudata (fig. 177), and Cerithium concavum (fig. 178). Helix labyrinthica, Say. (fig. 175), a land-shell now inhabiting the United States, was discovered in this series by Mr. Searles Wood in Hordwell Fig. 174.

Fig. 175.

Planorbis euomphalus, Sow.
Headon Hill, diam.

Helix labyrinthica, Say., Headon Hill, Isle of Wight; and Hordwell Cliff, Hants-also recent.

Cliff. It is also met with in Headon Hill, in the same beds. At Sconce, in the Isle of Wight, it occurs in the Bembridge series. The lower and middle portion of the Headon series is also met with in Hordwell Cliff (or Hordle, as it is often spelt),

Fig. 177.

Fig. 178.

Fig. 176.

Neritina concava, Sow., nat. size. Headon series.

Limnæa caudata, Edw., . Cerithium concavum, Sow.,
Headon series.
3. Headon series.

near Lymington, Hants. The chief shells which abound in this cliff are Paludina lenta and various species of Limnæa, Planorbis, Melania, Cyclas, Unio, Potamomya, Dreissena, &c.

Among the chelonians we find a species of Emys, and no less than six species of Trionyx; among the saurians an alligator and a crocodile; among the ophidians two species of landsnakes (Paleryx, Owen); and among the fish, Sir P. Egerton and Mr. Wood have found the jaws, teeth, and hard, shining scales of the genus Lepidosteus, or Bony pike of the American rivers. The same genus of freshwater ganoids has also been met with in the Hempstead beds in the Isle of Wight. The bones of several birds have been obtained from Hordwell, and the remains of quadrupeds of the genera Palæotherium (P. minus),