14 IIICKLIXG, Biitish Pcnniaji Footprints. 



doubt I added Fig. 8, which clearly represents the same 

 form, and in which there is nothing of the sort. 



Age of the Cnnwiingstojie beds. — Small as the pub- 

 lished evidence of the footprints from this locality is, 1 

 think its indication is clear. Of the close relationship of 

 CI. 5 with the Mansfield forms I am convinced. x\ may 

 be matched both at Mansfield and Penrith, while Bricken- 

 den's track is a typical Penrith form. Adding the absence 

 of any suggestion of Triassic forms, the evidence could 

 scarcely be more emphatic in favour of the Permian age 

 of these footprint beds. This evidence is corroborated by 

 a recent paper by my friend Mr. D. M S. Watson, in 

 which he points out that the beds containing Gordonia 

 Geikie and Elgiuia, are distinct from those containing the 

 remaining Elgin reptiles, and that the forms named are 

 distinctly of Permian rather than Triassic affinities (Watson, 

 :09). There is unfortunately no direct evidence as to the 

 relation of the footprint beds to any of the reptiliferous 

 deposits. 



The establishment of true Permian in this area, is a 

 fact of unusual interest as going not a little way towards 

 lessening the discrepancy of the stratigraphical and 

 pala^ontological evidence as to the relations of the " Old " 

 and " New " Red Sandstones. 



The quarries of Bishops Mill and Nairn, from which 

 footprints are also recorded, are in accepted Upper Old 

 Red. In confirmation of these occurrences, we have the 

 undoubted footprints of Tarbartness, which are in beds 

 which have never been separated from the Upper Old 

 Red. Unfortunatel}', I have not seen any of these 

 impressions, and no account of them is published, but I 

 believe a careful examination of them, might go far 

 towards settling the long-standing enigma of the rocks in 

 this part of Scotland. 



