RSY. J. C. ATKINSON ON THE MINERALS OF BERWICKSHIRE. 139 



Specular iron-ore, both massive and crystallized ; alone, and in 

 company with the carbonate. The crystals are not large nor 

 numerous. Half an inch in length is the measure of the largest. 

 It is singular that, unlike the iridescent play of colours in most 

 other minerals, this tarnish may be washed off, and it is not pos* 

 sible to restore it. In this cavern, beautifully decorated by the 

 very graceful sea spleen wort, (Asplenium marinum)f we find large 

 quantities of impure stalactitic carbonate of lime. There is mag- 

 nesia with it, doubtless ; — probably other matters, iron for in- 

 stance, in very small proportions; and hence the fracture does not ex- 

 hibit the usual characteristics of that of carbonate of lime, crystallized 

 or stalactitic. Not far from the " Fort," calc-spar occurs more 

 frequently, and may be obtained in rhomboids of tolerable dimen- 

 sions, though frequently enclosing foreign matter ; some of them 

 are remarkably translucent. A vein, too, of coarse calcedony, of 

 some extent, and from one to three inches in thickness, may be 

 seen near the same spot. The beach at Eyemouth affords various 

 specimens of amygdaloid, enclosing crystals of calc-spar and cor- 

 nelians of an inch and more in diameter. They come from St Abb's 

 Head. Some of the specimens contain, also, small green agates. 

 A great quantity of calc-spar lies about in all directions, red and 

 white. The former is from the greywacke rocks, on the Guns- 

 green side of the Eye. It abounds there, in innumerable veins, 

 from half an inch to three or four inches in thickness. And in 

 one spot, about a mile beyond the river, it occurs, both white and 

 deep red, in conjunction with crystals of quartz. These crystals 

 are long and thin, and vary much in size. Some are a quarter of 

 an inch in thickness, and six or eight times that in length. 

 Very beautiful specimens may be obtained by dissolving out the 

 lime in muriatic acid, so as to leave the crystals of quartz stand- 

 ing out. I have looked in vain for the veins of iron-ore in these 

 rocks mentioned by Mr Milne, in his Geology of Berwickshire ; and 

 I cannot but think that the occurrence of these numerous veins 

 of carbonate of lime, in the Gunsgreen rocks, is rather at variance 

 with his assertion, (p. 244), " It is curious that lime does not 

 occur either in the greywack6 scries," &c. 



I have but to mention now the occurrence of earthy green 

 carbonate of copper in a rock near the Fort at Eyemouth ; of easily 

 decomposed copper pyrites in Mordington, and near Spittal, — on 



