File:The Quarterly journal of the Geological Society of London (13859673753).jpg

6
J. S. GAKDNER DESCRIPTION AND
pinnatifid leaf of the form of Stenocarpus is, together with a com-
pound Acacia-like leaf, entirely confined to this patch. Other cha-
racteristic leaves are a small oval Smilax with a thin twining stem,
a Ghjptostrobus (?), and a Lygodium. The only fossil feather yet
found, so far as I am aware, in England was obtained in this bed.
Another patch at the angle of the chine has only single detached
leaves, smoothly spread between the surfaces of laminated sandy
clay, and is characterized by the great preponderance of a large
hornbeam-like leaf and the very large stipules and serrate leaves of,
apparently, a willow. Nearer Poole Harbour one or two small
patches of clay occur

yet these sometimes contain leaves quite pe-
culiar to them.
Unlike the rest of the cliffs eastward, the longest sections of the
clays up to this point face the sea and do not extend far in the up-
chine sections.
The second group extends from Sugar-loaf Chine to Watering
Chine (fig. 1)

and the cliffs are somewhat differently composed. The
black clays are almost unrepresented

and in their place are observed
numerous small and always lenticular patches of light-coloured clay,
not arranged in any horizontal series, but sometimes three or four
overlying one another at one spot. They are either composed of
pinkish laminated sandy clay, hard white sandy marl, or pure
white pipe-clay. The first variety has sometimes faintly marked
impressions of leaves, while the latter are unstratified and without
fossils. Only one considerable patch in this group, occurring about
100 yards to the east of the Branksome watch-tower, has yielded
well-preserved fossils. It is 25' feet across, composed of white and
drab and pinkish clay, overlying black sandy clay; and it contains re-
mains of insects, flowers, leguminous pods, small detached willow-like
leaves with smooth or serrated margins, stipules, laurel and Dios-
jogros leaves. When leaves occur in it that are met with elsewhere on
this coast, they are small and stunted. This lenticular patch is
composed as follows (fig. 2)

—
Pig. 2. — Section of Willow-bed, East of Sugar-loaf Chine.
9-
a. Buff quartzose sand ft. in.
b. Coarse red irony sand with iron layer at base . 4
c. White clay, stained slightly yellow in places, with leaves ... 6
d. Cinnamon-coloured clay, with leaves 8
e. Blackish clay in layers 7
/ Yellowish sandy clay 1
White sand