FIELD MEETINGS. 199 
building purposes. On one of the exposed faces were seen a 
series of the fossil footprints which have made this quarry familiar 
to the students of geology. Something of a sensation was created 
when, in 1827, the versatile Dr Henry Duncan, minister of Ruth- 
well, announced the discovery of the footprints of quadrupeds at 
Corncockle, for it was part of the geological faith at the time 
that no animals so highly organised as these indicated had existed 
in the New Red Sandstone period. Professor Buckland, of Ox- 
ford, was the first scientist to admit the authenticity and signifi- 
cance of the new discovery, and he indulged in the witticism that 
as the footprints which he saw all pointed southward they showed 
that even in these early days the inhabitants of Scotland had set 
their steps towards England. Professor Sedgwick, of Cambridge, 
and Sir Roderick Murchison were doubtful for a time, even after 
a personal visit; but the evidence was too clear, and it was 
strengthened by the subsequent discovery of footprints and de- 
tached bones of still larger animals in the same formation in 
Saxony and near Liverpool. To these gigantic animals of croco- 
dilian character, found in the Saxony rocks, the name Cheiro- 
therium was given, because of the resemblance of the footprints 
to a human hand; and they are also known as Labyrinthodon, a 
fanciful name based on the structure of the teeth. The smaller 
Corncockle impressions have been likened to such as would be 
made by land tortoises. It has been conjectured that the triassic 
tocks, to which this sandstone belongs, were laid down in a great 
salt lake or inland sea, round the margins of which these 
ungainly animals left their footprints on soft sand. The 
hardened strata had been tilted up when nature was in one of her 
violent moods, and at Corncockle you see a regular progression 
of the footprints going down a steep angle of something like 
forty degrees. Some excellent examples of the fossils are pre- 
served in the mansion-house of Jardine Hall. 
The gardens at Jardine Hall are extensive, and the com- 
pany found much to admire, although the severe frost experi- 
enced about ten days before had disastrous effects upon many of 
the plants, and in consequence the beds and borders were not so 
gay as they would have been in ordinary circumstances. In the 
open space at the garden front of the mansion there are a number 
of choice trees and shrubs, including some old yews, some very 
fine Douglas firs, good specimens of Abies Nobilis, fine Welling- 
