54 The Scottish Naturalist. 



ous quartz that has ever been reported as met with in Scotland, 

 and which is equally appropriately to be designated " The 

 Gemmell Quartzite." These two specimens indeed, the Gil- 

 christ Nugget, at present in the possession of the Duke of 

 Sutherland, and the Gemmell Quartzite, presently belonging 

 nominally and apparently to the Duke of Buccleuch, are ex- 

 cellent types of the two different or main forms in which native 

 gold occurs in Scotland, viz., in waterworn fragments and in the 

 matrix. 



I believe, therefore, Gemmell to be a perfectly good judge of 

 gold and of gold-quartz. But his assertion as to his lump of 

 quartz being infiltrated with gold is borne out or confirmed by 

 the testimony of (a) Mr. T. B. Stewart, Manager of the Lead 

 Works at Wanlockhead ; (b) Dr. Wilson of Wanlockhead ; (c) 

 Dr. Grierson of Thornhill ; and (d) last, though not least, by a 

 thoroughly competent and experienced Geologist and Minera- 

 logist, Professor Harkness of Cork, who tells me he saw* one of 

 Gemmell's fragments — a companion fragment to Dr. Grierson's 

 — in the cabinet of Mr. Dudgeon of Cargen (Dumfries-shire). 



2. Nor can there be any doubt as to Gemmell's having 

 found his Quartzite where it is stated to have been found — his 

 own evidence being supported by that of Mr. Stewart, Dr. Wil- 

 son, and Dr. Grierson. Dr. Wilson says there can be " little 

 doubt as to Andrew Gemmell's finding a large piece of gold- 

 quartz, weighing . . . nearly 10 lbs. :" and that "Gemmell 

 is always most successful in finding gold, and is one of the most 

 respectable and trustworthy men in the place." f He is, there- 

 fore, no myth, and his word can be depended upon. 



3. But there is a flaw in the evidence, as to the said Quartzite 

 belonging to the rocks of Wanlockhead, in so far as the mass was 

 found loose, by itself, on the side of a public road; and it has been 

 impossible to trace it to any of the quartz-veins in situ in the 

 subjacent or surrounding Silurian slates. Dr. Wilson reports 

 that " as to its being native to Wanlockhead, there are conflict- 

 ing opinions amongst the miners." % That it does belong to 

 the rocks of the district admits of little doubt : but it is most de- 

 sirable to supply this missing link in the chain of evidence by 

 perseverance in the local search for gold in the rocks in situ. 



4. One of the strongest arguments in favour of the Gemmell 

 Quartzite being a genuine product of the district, is the fact 



*In letter of date February 10, 1875. t Letter dated nth January, 1875. 



X Letter dated January II, 1875. 



