130 Mr Grierson on Footsteps before the Flood. 



Art. XXI. — On Footsteps before the Floods in a specimen 

 of Red Sandstone, By Mr Grierson. * 



-It was obtained from the sandstone quarry of Corncockle 

 Muir, about two miles to the north of the town of Lochmaben, 

 iri, the county of Dumfries. The existence of specimens of 

 this kind in that quarry has been known for a considerable 

 time. Having lately spent a few days in that neighbourhood 

 with Dr Duncan of Ruthwell, who is in possession of the 

 finest specimens that have yet been procured, and who was 

 anxious to obtain some others for Professor Buckland of Ox- 

 ford, with whom he had been corresponding on the subject, I 

 went with him to the quarry to see the original deposite, and, 

 if possible, to procure a small slab for myself. The professor 

 having received a cast of the most distinct impressions which 

 Dr Duncan's specimens exhibit, together with a fragment of 

 the sandstone itself, was so fully convinced by them that the 

 rock, while in a soft state, had been traversed by living qua- 

 drupeds, though the fact was at variance with his general opi- 

 nions respecting the geological formation, that he wrote to the 

 doctor, earnestly requesting him to procure, at any expence> 

 any specimens that could then, or that might in future be dis- 

 covered. 



On entering the quarry we found that the dip of the strata 

 was towards the west, and at an angle of about 35 degrees. 

 On the eastern side, therefore, it was the upper surface of the 

 strata that was presented to us, and of this there was a great 

 lateral extent. The upper edge of the strata, the face of 

 which was there exposed, reached within about 15 feet of the 

 surface of the ground. From this upper boundary down to 

 the line where they disappeared under the rubbish, which, 

 since the working had been carried on chiefly on the opposite 

 side of the quarry, had accumulated at their base, there were 

 fully 15 feet of their surface distinctly exhibited, and this for 

 a range of not less than between 40 and 50 yards. On ex- 

 amining the whole range of this acclivity, we found no less 



• Read before the general meeting of the Literary and Antiquarian 

 Society of Perth on the 22(1 November last. 



