Mr Maclaren on Ancient Beaches near Stirling. 411 



(See Thomas' Survey). Taking its height as its stands, 1 shall call 

 it the " 26 fathom terrace." Portions of others, still higher, pi'obably 

 exist. The village of Doune, for instance, stands upon a terrace, th© 

 elevation of which above the sea I estimated at 180 feet. 



In the part of the valley of the Forth below Grangemouth, the 

 action of currents would be greater and longer continued, the Pass 

 by the Kelvin being 75 feet lower than by the Endrick. Terraces 

 so distinct and continuous as the 22 fathom terrace, and at such an 

 elevation, should not consequently be looked for there. Four suc- 

 cessive terraces may indeed be traced on the ground extending from 

 Corstorphine Hill to North Leith, at various elevations up to more 

 than 100 feet above the sea ; but the higher ones, instead of being 

 level, have a considerable inclination to the east, and are, in other re- 

 spects, not so well marked as that in section 1. Besides, the straight 

 longitudinal furrows, two or three furlongs broad, on the surface of 

 the higher ones, seem to indicate that the alluvium of which they are 

 composed, had undergone a process of denudation, which materially 

 altered its external form. 



Returning from this digression to the terraces above Stirling, I 

 have shewn that indications exist there of the sea having occupied suc- 

 cessively four distinct levels, exclusive of the present one. 



First, The bottom of the sea was so much below its present level, 

 that its waters deposited the sand and gravel seen in the ridge k, in 

 section 3, which I have termed " the 26 fathom terrace." 



Second, The bed or bottom of the sea rose 30 or 40 feet, laying 

 dry much of its ancient shores. The ** 22 fathom terrace" (a b, &c., 

 in section 1, ^ in section 5, and if in section 3), is a portion of its 

 beach when it stood at this level, and it had remained here long enough 

 to eat away nearly the whole of the older terrace or shoal k. 



Thirdy The bed of the sea again rose 50 or 60 feet, when the "11 

 fathom terraces" (e, in section 1, f in section 3, and m in section 6) 

 were formed, and were then portions of its beach (See also d e, m n, 

 and 0, in the map). It remained long enough at this level to eat 

 away all the ** 22 fathom terrace," except the fragment abcdf on 

 the north side of the valley, and the fragment p q on the south side 

 (See the Map). 



Fourth, The bed of the sea again rose 35 or 40 feet, and the water, 

 of course, retreated into a narrower channel as before. It now merely 

 covered the Carse, the margin of which constituted its beach, and it 

 remained long enough here to eat away all the older beach of the 

 "11 fathom terrace," except the portions d e and mn and o, in the 

 map. Agreeably to the terminology adopted, the Carse might be 

 called the " 7 fathom terrace." 



Fifth, The bottom of the sea rose 40 feet, the waters again retreated, 

 laid the Carse dry, and settled at their present level ; and the tides, as 

 before, are renewing their depredations on the land which they for- 

 mex'ly covered. 



