370 Geological History of the Coast of Fife. [Sess, 
and west what amounted in the long-run to a thick pile of 
basalt lava streams. The fine crag named after King Alexander 
affords an excellent illustration of the earlier phases of the 
volcanic eruption here. If we study the beds seen there we 
shall find a record of many different lava streams piled on each 
other, with evidence of long pauses between, during which there 
was a quiet deposition of estuarine or marine sediment. There 
is no place where this interesting feature can be better observed 
than at and near Pettycur. Between this point and King 
Alexander’s monument two or three beds of lava are seen, 
each separated from the other by a small thickness of sedi- 
mentary rock, which speak eloquently of the changes in 
progress at the time these rocks were formed. 
Just below the inn at Pettycur there is a bed of lava, rather 
steeply inclined, as they all are, towards the east. On this 
bed lies a pile of sediments which have evidently been accumu- 
lated in an estuary. Near the base one band of these old 
sediments includes a big ejected block which must have fallen 
during an explosive eruption of the neighbouring volcano down 
through the air plump into the soft mud on the sea bottom. In 
falling it has crumpled and squeezed up the unconsolidated 
sediments beneath, as one can readily see. Then, after this 
interesting little episode, sedimentation went on once more, 
and covered up the stranger. The volcano had, however, only 
temporarily quieted down, for we find the higher beds of sedi- 
ment plentifully mixed with material shot out from the old 
voleano during one of its explosive fits, which, as before 
remarked, were not of frequent occurrence. Next comes two 
or three beds of lava with some little sediment between, as 
before. Then, just before we reach the point selected for the 
Battery, we find a thick bed of estuarine sediment containing 
many spoils of the adjacent land, in the shape of trunks and 
leaves of the giant Lepidodendroid trees that flourished at no 
great distance. These, of course, are the ancient representa- 
tives of the club-mosses of the present day, or rather of their 
allies the Selaginellas, but instead of being at the most a few 
inches, many of these towered to a height of from forty to sixty 
feet. Following this comes on a thick pile of beds of basalt 
lava, which form the headland where the big guns have lately 
been mounted. At Kinghorn harbour comes next above this 
