field is one of the richest depots of Elephantine and Cervine remains, and also of the Rhinoceros etruscus * ; and, judging from its position on the same horizon, and from its mineral and fossil contents, it can scarcely be doubted that it is an extension or continuation of the Bacton and Mundesley Forest-bed.
The Chillesford clay here and in a gorge between Kessingland and Pakefield, a few yards inland, is well developed. As Mr. Prestwich admits the presence of the Chillesford clay at Kessingland, and the Forest-bed is to be seen there on the beach beneath it, it is unnecessary for me to add more in support of my statement ; but I am desirous to submit to the Geological Society some observations and suggestions with respect to the real position of the Forest-bed.
In order to ascertain the true position of the Forest-bed, it is requisite to have an insight into its very complex nature. The soil of the Forest-bed appears to consist of an argillaceous sand and gravel, or a compound of both, and to have been deposited in an estuary. Bones of Elephas meridionalis, together with a great variety of deer and other mammals, sharply fractured, but not rolled, are found in it, especially in the gravel, which is called the " Elephant-bed " on that account. These are associated with the bones of whales and fragments of wood, indicating that the estuary was open to the sea, most probably northwards, for the admission of the whales ; while it appears to have been closed at the Straits of Dover and Calais, to afford a passage for the mammals into this country.
This deposit of the soil may be regarded as the first phase of the Forest-bed ; and here, we may observe, a long interval may have intervened between this and the second phase, which dates from the raising of the soil to the surface of the waters and the growth of the forest upon it. In this the remains of the E. antiquus are most abundant ; other varieties of the elephant are found here, which it is unnecessary for the subject of the present inquiry to particularize, together with Rhinoceros etruscus and Trogontherium Cuvieri. This may be regarded as the true Forest-bed; the stools of the trees belonging to it are visible along the coast at various places from Kessingland to Cromer.
The third phase commences with the gradual going down and submergence of the Forest-bed on the gathering of waters upon it. First freshwater, then fluvio-marine, and lastly marine beds (including the Chillesford clay) were successively deposited, and contain their respective faunas. A fourth phase might be added, which consists in the continuance of the undulating ridges of the Forest- bed above water after the deposit of the freshwater and fluvio-marine beds. This may be observed at Kessingland and Happisburgh. At the latter place the bones of a goat, or some bovine animal, were found, together with hazel-nuts†.
- A specimen described by Mr. Boyd Dawkins (Proceedings of the Geological
Society, Jan. 8, 1868) was obtained at Pakefield.
† A fuller description was given in a paper entitled 'The Anglo-Belgian Basin,' read at the Meeting of the British Association at Nottingham.
