INTRODUCTION. 7 



passed thi'ough the lime-kiln, it still retained not only its 

 form, but also some traces of its original colouring. It was 

 sent to the Natural History Museum of the University of 

 Edinburgh, where, I doubt not, it remains to this day. In 

 the same limestone quarry I have gathered various Frodiccti, 

 Terebratidce, Nucula, Sjoirifers, &c. Asaplius caudatiis has 

 occasionally been found, and a star -fish of the Ophiura 

 family. Encrinites are also there, and at times pretty 

 Flustra-YikQ zoophytes, as fresh on the rock as if their 

 lacy web had been woven yesterday. The richness of this 

 fossil deposit was first discovered by my lamented friend 

 George Gardner, Esq., whose sudden death in Ceylon gave 

 so mucli grief when he was rising to so great eminence in 

 the scientific world. In one of our muscological expedi- 

 tions he had separated from us for a little and wandered 

 into the quarry. On returning to us he held up exultingly 

 some Terehratula and a Trilohite, and to our eager inquiry 

 whether there were any more of them, he replied, " Abun- 

 dance, they are just Jiotching." A knowledge of Scotch is 

 necessary to see the force and drollery of this expression. 

 Our polished jambs and chimney mantel-pieces of our native 

 marbles, owe much of their beauty to the remains of more 

 magnificent zoophytes than are now to be found in our 



