308 Presentations. 



On every hand there is evidence of a great change having taken 

 place. There are not many fossils in these shales, but wher- 

 ever found they show by the forms of marine life that the 

 ocean had entered in. The water was shallow and full of mud, 

 which was very unfavourable to the inhabitants of the deep 

 ocean. Probably this condition was brouglit about by the 

 barriei-s of the distant ocean having been slowly submerged. 

 The atmospliere also changed in these early Carboniferous 

 times. Instead of the arid sand-blown desert conditions 

 of the Old Red Sandstone Age, we are confronted with 

 proofs of warm temperature under humid conditions. During 

 tlie existence of these muddy seas or estuaries we have evidence 

 in other parts of Scotland of the growth of large forests ; but the 

 conditions as a whole were not favourable to the formation of 

 coal. Adjacent to these cement stones of the mu'ddy seas we 

 find a large deposit of grey sandstones. They are known as 

 the Tiiirlstane sandstones, and belong to the same horizon as 

 the grey sandstones of Woodcockair in Annandale and the Fell 

 sandstones of the Lake District. The grains are large and 

 ooar&e, and the stones have been largely used for millstones 

 in the past. The sjindstones have here been qiiarried into 

 large caves by the waves, and in many cases the top of the cave 

 has been removed by wind and weather — leaving weird and 

 fantastic shapes to guard the shores. In later times thej^ 

 formed convenient receptacles for sanuggled goods. Imme- 

 diately overlying these sandstones seawards we find another 

 mass of shales and thin limestone bands, containing fossils, and 

 in front of the gardener's cottage the coralline limestones are 

 finely arranged. By great earth pressure in a lateral direction 

 the rocks have been thrown into a large trough or syncline. 

 The appearance on the surface resembles a coral reef. During 

 the formation of the limestones the waters were crowded with 

 aniinal life. The conditions were mainly those belonging to 

 deep oceans. The limestone is chiefly composed of the dead 

 bodies of minute animals which fell to the ocean floor. Cup 

 corals and branching corals abound in great profusion. 

 During the making of the rocks from which the fossils were 

 taken the district was covered by a large ocean stretching 

 across the best part of Europe, teeming with life, bounded by 

 distant continents now wholly unknown. 

 12th April, 1912.— Anonymous— Title Deeds of No. 156 St. Michael 

 Street, Dumfries, from 1628 to 1827. Leadwork taken from the 

 Blue Bell Hotel in St. Michael Street, which stood immediately 

 below the Old George Hotel, consisting of a rainbow with initials 

 " R. C." and date "1748," and various "lugs" with designs, 

 (vide illustiation.) The initials are believed to be those of 

 Robert Corsane of Meikleknox, son of the Rev. Peter Rae of 

 Kirkbride and Kirkconnel, an extensive proprietor in the town 

 at the date given. 



