274 Dr. Mac Culloch on the Junction 



lady, for feet, or posts, of her bed. I say no more, because 

 we of this age know her, and for posterity it signifies nothing." 

 Thus fossil bones of beasts, such as were exhibited by the 

 Romans, according to their history, are one of the sure guides 

 to trace the residences and wars of those powerful conquerors. 



On the Junction of Granite and Sandstone in Sutherland, 

 and on the Lignite Formation of that District. By J. Mac 

 Culloch, M.D., F.R.S., &c. 



The appearance on which the title of this paper is founded, 

 has so rarely been observed, that every instance of it would, 

 under the present circumstances, be deserving of record, were 

 it even not attended by the peculiarities here occurring, which 

 render this example interesting in no common degree. Only 

 one other instance of it has occurred in my experience, and 

 that is in Aberdeenshire ; but, in that case, the smallness of 

 the space exposed where the junction takes place, is such, 

 that nothing of importance can be discovered : — it stands as a 

 bare example of a rare fact in geology. In the case about to 

 be described, there is the most perfect exposure of the whole 

 junction throughout a space of many hundred yards ; while all 

 the rocks are as clean as if recently cut by a tool, and abso- 

 lutely free of any incumbrance capable of introducing obscurity 

 or doubt into the observations. This junction is, at the same 

 time, perfectly accessible, throughout a considerable space, 

 even to the hammer of the geologist ; so that nothing but 

 incapacity or prejudice, on the part of an observer, can lead 

 either to a misapprehension or misstatement of the circum- 

 stances attending it. 



Having, on many occasions, attempted to demonstrate the 

 igneous origin of granite, I shall, probably, in describing these 



mountains of Aracan, from that city eastward ; and upon the sand of a 

 river bank he saw six wild elephants, but could not get very near them. 

 On examining the impression of their feet upon the hard sand, he found 

 one of them to measure upwards of twenty inches at the smallest diameter. 

 The writer of this note conjectures the Mastodon to be a native of Ava 

 (their fossil bones having been found there lately), and that they are 

 mountain elephants. This curious subject, so highly interesting in 

 natural history, is well worth inquiry in Aracan and Ava. 



