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the waters of the Moray Firth, like a silver streak, seemed 

 to kiss the hazy hills of the North with a laughing ripple, 

 clasping them as the white arms of a mother clasps her 

 first-born child. It was a scene never to be forgotten. We 

 have stood where Highland Dee rushes in foam from the 

 mountains, tossing his waters as a war horse tosses his 

 mane ; we have stood where the infant waters of the Don 

 issue from the dark glens of Corgarff, and roll down 

 through romantic Strathdon ; we have stood and lookedjwith 

 admiration on the amber Aven as it flashed out like a sun- 

 beam from the mighty mountains which guard the sources 

 of its birth in that wild and storm-swept land, and wind 

 by mauy a lovely and enchanting scene ; and we have 

 stood where the broad and bounding Spey sweeps majesti- 

 cally past ; but never did a panorama of glory spread out 

 before our vision as that lowland scene did, and the ever- 

 varying light and shade played over it, making all like a 

 dreamland, an Elysium where nymphs and fairies dwell, 

 and where sorrow may not enter. 



Apart from its scenic beauty, the Findhorn possesses 

 a deeper and more lasting interest to the scientist, espe- 

 cially the geologist. Fifty-six years ago Sir Roderick 

 Murchison and Professor Sedgwick visited the Findhorn, 

 and, after examining the sandstones of the district, came 

 to the conclusion that they belonged to the Old Red 

 formation. Murchison afterwards said, however, that he 

 and his colleague had no notion that organic remains lay 

 under their feet. In 1838-9 Dr. Malcolmson, a medical 

 officer in the East India Company' s service, who was on 

 leave of absence, wrote a most admirable paper on the 

 same subject, which was read before the Geological Society 

 on the oth of June, 1839. In it he states that organic 

 remains were discovered on the 6th October, 1838, and 

 suggested that the specimen should be named Randolphi, 



