( 163 ) 



On the occurrence of Chalk-Jiints in Banffshire. By James 

 Christie, Esq. Secretary to the Banff Institution. Com- 

 municated by the Author*. 



&OME time ago I took the liberty of submitting for your in- 

 spection specimens of a quantity of flints found scattered and 

 mixed with the water-worn stones and shingle along the shore 

 of Boyndie Bay *|-, to the westward of Banff, and to state, that 

 flints of a similar description are occasionally found to the east- 

 ward as far as Peterhead. I had not seen any organic remains 

 in the flints of this part of Scotland, to enable me to form an opi- 

 nion as to their being of the chalk-formation \. Since that time, I 

 have met with abundance of flints on the hill or rising ground be- 

 tween Turiff and Delgaty Castle. The surface of the ground 

 there is irregular, rising occasionally into hillocks, and sinking in- 

 to hollows, filled with bogs and swamps. These hillocks are com- 

 posed of a conglomerate or pebbly mass, having a base or 

 ground of white or grey colour, and apparently composed of de- 

 cayed felspar, and very minute scales of mica or talc, or both, in 

 which are imbedded rounded pebbles of greyish-white translu- 

 cent quartz-rock. The quartz-pebbles are from the size of a 

 pea to that of a hen''s Qgg. This conglomerated mass is here and 

 there alternated with or traversed by a white quartzy sand, with 

 scales of mica. The whole conglomerated mass is mixed up 

 with Jlints, of various sizes and forms. The flints are yellow, 



• At p. 381. of last volume of this Journal, we noticed Mr Christie's 

 discovery of flints on the shore near Banff. — Edit. 



t The flints sent me from Boyndie Bay, are of the same description 

 with those found near Delgaty. They contain traces of zoophytic organic 

 remains. — Edit. 



X Some years ago, while examining the geognosy of the vicinity of Pe- 

 terhead, our attention was directed to the chalk-flmts found in that neigh- 

 bourhood, by previous information. We traced them extending over several 

 miles of country, and frequently imbedded in a reddish clay, resting on the 

 granite of the district. These flints contain sponges, alcyonia, echini, and 

 other fossils of the chalk-flint, thus proving them to belong to the chalk for- 

 mation, which itself will probably be found in some of the hollows in this 

 part of Scotland — Edit. 



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