HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



a mile has been altogether changed. Instead of a 

 gradually rising shore or "talus," we have a thin 

 stretch of undulating ground, backed by a steep 

 precipitous ridge or clift' in several places upwards of 

 1 20 feet high. This is one of many such examples 

 which help to show us how very greatly the aspect 

 of a locality may be permanently changed by mining 

 or quarrying operations conducted from the surface. 

 The exposure consists generally of several beds of 

 limestone dipping to the north-west at an angle of 

 12°, the visible depth being about 60 feet. These 

 beds in their turn are covered by 35 feet of shale 

 more argillaceous than carboniferous in its composi- 

 tion. The limestone in appearance is very similar to 

 that already described, the colour perhaps being a 



On the south side of the Forth we have the rock 

 again exposed in the quarries north-east of the 

 important mining district of Bathgate. The ridge or 

 series of hills locally known as the Torphichens form- 

 part of the south rim of the Forth basin, and rise to 

 a height of 600 feet above the sea-level. The lime^ 

 stone in this neighbourhood consists of a series of 

 beds 60 feet thick, is ot the usual grey colour, but 

 somewhat softer in texture, yielding more readily to 

 weathering influences, and becomes of a black -yellow 

 tint on decomposition. Possibly to the student just 

 commencing his researches among the Carboniferous 

 limestone no better locality than that of Bathgate 

 could be desired, as the exposures are both numerous 

 and easy of access, while the profusion of organic 



Fig. 48. — Comtlaria qjiadris7dcaia. 



Fig. 49. — Spirifera striata, b and c showing internal coils. 



Fig. 50. — Prodiictus gigantens. 

 (From Taylor's "Common British Fossils.") 



shade darker owing to the presence in the rock of a 

 small percentage of naphtha. Organic remains are 

 ^omewhat rare in the lower beds, but of those 

 occasionally found most are in a fairly satisfactory 

 state of preservation. The upper massive beds yield 

 good and large Produdjis loiigispiiiiis, P. simiatiis, 

 P. martini, and P. Jimbriatiis ; the thin beds of 

 calcareous shale contain species of Tubipora, 

 Cyathophylhim, Clisiophylhitii, Turbinolia, Fungitcs, 

 (sheep's-horn), and various parts of dispersed en- 

 crinites ; while from the nodules of red-coloured 

 argillaceous ironstone found in the upper " blaes " 

 the writer has obtained very perfect and well-defined 

 specimens of Conularia qiiadrisiilcata, Ort/iis resiipi- 

 nata, Spirifera Uneata, and Strophomena sp. 



remains is such as to lend every encouragement to 

 those who desire to wield hammer and chisel to 

 advantage. At present, operations in the once 

 extensively worked ([uarries are all but stopped in 

 consequence of the small demand for lime and the 

 keen competition of more favourably situated lime- 

 works. But it is impossible to wander among the 

 various workings without noticing on every hand 

 signs of the great amount of material which has been 

 extracted. Lead was at one time obtained here in. 

 small though not very continuous veins, and this in 

 turn yielded a small percentage of silver. The 

 argentiferous ore was long worked in one of the 

 quarries still bearing the name of " Silver Mine," 

 situated a few hundred yards north-west of the 



