8G Scales of Vertehrated Animals in Old Red Sandstone. 



to some of the scales on the common sturgeon, and may, with 

 some probabiHty, be referred to an extinct species of the genus 

 Acipenser, 



The organism represented at PL II. fig. 4, seems to be a frag- 

 ment of an external osseous process, or tooth. 



Immediately after these supposed oysters from Errol were 

 known to be scales, a notice of their occurrence was inserted in 

 one of the Perth newspapers ; but the author of the notice, not 

 being aware of the difference in superposition, assigned to the 

 Clashbinnie beds the same relation to the carboniferous limestone, 

 which had been stated as existing in reference to the yellow 

 sandstone, my notice having been employed as a guide. A similar 

 intimation, with the same error, derived from the source alluded 

 to, with the additional one of stating Clashbinnie quarry as in 

 Forfarshire, made its appearance in the Edinburgh Journal of 

 Science for January, 1829, p. 184. 



In the gray sandstone, which, as has been stated, occupies an 

 intermediate position between the yellow and red sandstones, the 

 remains of vegetable organisms occur, though sparingly. These 

 appear to have belonged to gramineous plants. In a quarry at 

 l*arkhill, near Newburgh, these remains occupy the surface of the 

 strata, and are accompanied by relics I have not met with else- 

 where. These occur in the form of circular flat patches, not 

 equalling an inch in diameter, and composed of numerous smaller 

 contiguous circular pieces, (see PI. II. fig. 5.) These bodies are not 

 unlike what might be expected to result from a compressed berry, 

 such as the bramble or the rasp. As these bodies, however, are 

 found, as represented in the figure, adjacent to the narrow leaves 

 of gramineous vegetables, and chiefly in slate clay, (originally 

 lacustrine silt,) it is probable that they constituted the conglobate 

 panicles of extinct species of the genus Juncus or Sparzanium. 

 The Rev. Mr Muir, of St Vigeans, has since detected similar 

 organisms in the Arbroath pavement beds. 



The existence of the remains of vertebrated animals in the 

 strata connected with the rocks beneath the independent coal 

 formation in this district, is a fact of some importance to those 

 who propose to investigate the progress of animal life, as exhibited 

 by the organisms which the strata contain. The facts illustrative 

 of the vegetable relics which the strata noticed above contain, 

 warrant, in connection with other circumstances, the conclusion, 

 that the series of rocks in this district, usually known to geologists 

 under the denomination, old red sandstone, is a fresh water 

 formation, covered by a bed of marine carboniferous limestone. 

 The strata above this limestone, as already stated, constituting 

 the coal metals, are of lacustrine origin ; but they include many 

 subordinate beds of marine limestone. 



Manse of Ftisk, 2d April, 1830. 



