RECORDS OF EXCURSIONS IN AYRSHIRE. 43 



Valley the surface of the land dips, sometimes gently, sometimes 

 steeply, towards the stream ; but at this cliff, which is opposite 

 Whitecraig (the Warrior's Rock) Farm, on the east side of the 

 stream, the land rises somewhat steeply towards the cliff. More- 

 over, Hindog Glen from this point downwards presents high cliffs 

 of rock, sometimes on one side of the stream, sometimes on the 

 other, and it is quite apparent that this gorge is all of post-glacial 

 formation, and that the old pre-glacial line of the Rye Valley was 

 placed at a short distance from it towards the east, and is now 

 apparently filled with boulder clay. Proceeding down stream, 

 the party examined the thick beds of agglomerate which form the 

 upper member of the hill series of rocks, for although the hills 

 are now above the level of the valley, still their geological position 

 is below the strata of the latter. Above the agglomerates come 

 thin fossiliferous shales, the first evidence of returning life to the 

 district after the long period of the hill traps had passed away. This 

 shale is succeeded by the Campsie coal, seen in the glen (but a 

 thin seam in this quarter), and then come the lower limestones 

 and their accompanying shales, the upper limestone post being 

 finely developed and well exposed in the Cunningham B/aidland 

 Quarry, where the party had an opportunity of seeing myriads 

 of fossils exposed on the weathered faces of the rock. Towards 

 the old kiln there is a fine quaquaversal dip in this limestone, the 

 only one we can point to in Ayrshire. On the other side of the 

 stream from this, just opposite the Aitnock Well, the blackband 

 ironstone was seen, its position being some fifty-four fathoms 

 above the limestone in the quarry, the line of the glen at this 

 part being placed on a large hitch (fault). Aitnock Fort, situated 

 on the top of a high sandstone cliff which rises sheer up from the 

 waters of the Rye, was next visited, after which the party 

 proceeded down the glen keeping the right hand side, passing 

 the outcrop of the Linn limestone, and examining a synclinal 

 bend in the strata. A capture was here made of what was 

 supposed to be the water shrew {Sorex fodiens), but it escaped 

 before this point could be fully determined. 



The return was made towards Dairy by way of Doggartland, 

 the old mill-lade and dam at that place being fringed with an 

 extraordinary profusion of Mitnulus luteus (musk), which in its 

 season 'makes a splendid show. At " the bugs," now in the Dairy 



