The Scottish Naturalist. 121 



inches ; do., 3 feet, 2 inches ; do., hard, 6 feet, 8 inches ; brown 

 blaes, 1 foot, 6 inches ; white freestone, with partings, 2 feet, 5 

 inches; strong freestone, 4 feet, 10 inches; white freestone, 

 hard, 1 foot, 10 inches ; strong white freestone, 4 feet, 2 inches ; 

 do., very light and hard, 2 feet, 3 inches ; do., soft, 2 feet, 2 

 inches ; do., soft, 2 feet, 6 inches. The other depths were all 

 freestone — white." The terms, I presume, are local. 



Two samples — the last from the Dunning bore — were several 

 weeks ago brought to me ; the depth was then over 200 feet. 

 One was of a reddish colour, the other very pale ; both con- 

 tained mica and answered to the test for lime, and were what 

 any of the cypris or shell-beds of Dron might be from a bore. 



If I were asked whether coal exists on the Duncrub estates, 

 I should answer somewhat as follows : — Lower Carboniferous 

 rocks exist at Dron. Lower Carboniferous rocks serially occur 

 immediately above Old Red Sandstone. Old Red Sandstone 

 exists within a short distance of Dron. It is, I believe, Old 

 Red Sandstone at Auchterarder. It is Old Red Sandstone 

 high up Invermay glen. It is this same rock on the north 

 side of the valley. If anything exists at Dunning more modern 

 than Old Red Sandstone, it is Lower Carboniferous. There 

 are several thin seams of coal to 2,000 feet of this in Fife. A 



• 



local patch is not likely to prove an exception to this. Even 

 were there hopes of a workable seam, its area would be very 

 limited. I have worked at Dron with my hammer, and it has 

 taught me what 60 fathoms' boring at -£9 per week hints at. 



I was this twelfth day of June informed by a gentleman, 

 whom I considered a good authority, that several seams of coal 

 had been passed through at' Dunning on the previous Thurs- 

 day, one of which was 2^ feet in thickness, &c. This so 

 astonished me that I took the first train to Forteviot, and was 

 on my way to the bore to verify this report when I met one of 

 the residents of the district, who informed me that 300 feet 

 had been passed ; and that the week previous operations had 

 been given over ; and the man added, " no coal whatever has 

 been found." But I am assured that " coal " has been passed 

 through, and that boring operations may be recommenced. 



