254 Formation and Age of the Queensberrys. 



the great contortion of strata. As the young land was slowly 

 raised from the sea, it was immediately subject to the operations 

 of a new force. All the powers of atmospheric denudation — 

 wind, sun, and rain — were brought to bear upon it. The 5000 

 feet deposits of the three closing ages were removed as silently 

 and as persistently, and perhaps as slowly, as they were originally 

 deposited. 



For those who prefer to think in years rather than in ages, 

 and who are willing to take all risks, we may state the ages thus : 

 According to Dr Croall, denudation to-day is at the rate of one 

 foot over the whole earth in 6000 years. If this be overdrawn, 

 let us half it. We have, therefore, a deposit of 17,000 feet 

 multiplied by 3000, equal to 51,000,000 years for the laying 

 down of the rocks. To this we must add 15,000,000 years for 

 the removal of the top strata, giving us a total of 66 millions of 

 years. 



This was practically all accomplished before the Upper Old 

 Red Sandstone Age, which closed about 500 millions of years 

 ago. 



8th February, 1911. 



Chairman — Mr S. Arnott. 



The Rhinns of Galloway. By Andrew Donaldson, 

 Ardwall, Wigtownshire. 



[In an interesting manner Mr Donaldson reviewed the anti- 

 quities of the parishes of Kirkmaiden, Stoneykirk, Portpatrick, 

 Leswalt, Kirkcolm, Stranraer, Inch, Old Luce, and New Luce, 

 which comprise the Rhinns, told some of the legends of the 

 district, and sketched the histories of some of the families. The 

 matter was gathered from various sources. 



Of the Castle of Auchness in Kirkmaiden, still used as a 

 farmhouse, he wrote: "Auchness, though having all the appear- 

 ance of an old Scots baronial castle, is only an imitation one, 

 having been built in the baronial style early in the nineteenth 

 century. So good an imitation is it that it misled Mr MTlwraith, 

 a keenly observant writer, who published a guide to Wigtown- 



