84 Dr Fleming on the Scales of Vertebrated Animals 



Towards its upper part a limestone occurs, nearly similar to the 

 one which has been mentioned as existing at the lower part of the 

 yellow sandstone. The gray and red sandstones occur on the 

 south bank of the estuary of the Tay, in the valley of Strathern, 

 and in the northern acclivity of the Ochils. 



The whole of the rocks thus briefly noticed have a westerly 

 direction and a southerly dip in the county of Fife, but a dip in 

 the opposite direction on the north side of the estuary of the Tay 

 in Perthshire. The axis of elevation by which the whole of these 

 beds in Fife, and even unto Stirling, have acquired a southerly 

 dip, runs in the direction of the present estuary of the Tay and 

 Strathern, pointing to that district in Scotland which, even at 

 present, is frequently visited by earthquakes. The west Lomond 

 constitutes the culminating point of the coal metals. It rises 

 with its cap of trap to the height of 1721 feet above the level of 

 the sea. 



The strata underneath the coal metals are traversed, in the 

 direction of the dip, by dykes of greenstone and compact felspar, 

 and in their line of stretch by one dyke of greenstone of an 

 interesting character. It intersects the inferior sandstone, 

 amygdaloid, and clinkstone. It is vertical, and varies frequently 

 in breadth from ten to twenty feet and upwards. I have satisfied 

 myself of it continuously throughout a space of about six miles, 

 and there are indications of its continuance to double that extent. 

 I am in the habit of calling it the Great Flisk Dyke, as it inter- 

 sects the parish in a part of its course. 



The above cursory sketch of the strata of this district is not 

 designed as a history of the geology of the district, — a task 

 which I trust shortly to be able to accomplish, — but to enable 

 the reader to form a more accurate notion of the position of the 

 bodies now to be noticed. The divisions likewise which have 

 been introduced, mark, indeed, the order of superposition, and on 

 this account have a local value ; but, when viewed in the great 

 scale, they are to be considered merely as expressing the inferior 

 members of the carboniferous epoch, usually included under the 

 term old red sandstone. 



The organic remains which occur in this series of rocks present 

 several circumstances of considerable interest. In the upper 

 portion of the series, which has been denominated yellmv sand- 

 stone^ the remains of plants are occasionally to be met with, 

 especially the phytolithus verrucosus of Martin, so universally 

 distributed among the beds in connection with the coal above the 

 carboniferous limestone. 



In the summer of 1827 I obtained from Drumdryan quarry, to 

 the south of Cupar, situate in the higher strata of yellow sand- 

 stone, certain organisms, which I readily referred to the scales of 

 vertebrated animals, probably those of a fish. The largest (see 

 PI. II. fig. 1.) was one inch and one-tenth in length, about one 

 inch and two-tenths in breadth, and not exceeding the fiftieth of 



