158 GEOLOGY. 
was of all sizes, from mere specks to fine specimens ten or twelve feet 
long. Creatures like the scorpion, with toothed toes, are also obtained, 
and in the upper beds fishes. 
Scenery of Period.—Of the dry land we know little or nothing, except 
that it did exist, and nourished certain aquatic plants and club-mosses, 
whose remains were floated down into the great seas. But we can see ~ 
mighty oceans, in which corals flourished, and encrinites waved their lly 
stems. Shells were abundant, and numerous creatures gambolled in the 
bright sun. These seas were fringed by sandy shores, on which worms. 
crawled and left their tracks; gravelly beaches, that have become con- 
clomerates ; and great beds of shells, that have given origin to thick 
limestones. Life gradually assumes more activity, and living forms 
become more numerous and elevated in the scale of existence as we ascend 
in the system towards the active period that follows. 
V.—Devonian System. 
Description The Devonian System of rocks has been rendered famous 
through the writings of several geologists, especially the celebrated Hugh 
Miller, and is one that in itself possesses the very greatest interest. In 
early geology, the Coal-measures were considered very important ; and as 
both below and above them a great thickness of red sandstone is found, 
the rocks above were named the New Red Sandstone ; while those below, 
being of course older, were called the Old Red Sandstone, or, shortly, the 
Old Red. As these older rocks are extensively developed in Devonshire, 
this system has also been called the Devonian System, a name now more 
used than the other. These rocks are found also in other parts of Britain, 
especially in Forfarshire and Caithness, where they are extensively 
quarried, and in parts all over the world. The name ‘Old Red’ indicates 
that the chief rock is a red sandstone, which is used very extensively for 
building. This also occurs in fine flags used for pavement, generally of a 
gray colour—the famous Arbroath and Caithness pavements being from 
this system. The remarkable rock called Conglomerate or ‘ Plum- -pudding 
Stone,’ which looks as if it consisted of a chnealadaked sea-beach, is also 
found extensively in this system. 
Organic Remains.—There are comparatively few plants found in the 
Old Red, as compared with the animal remains. We find sea-weeds of 
different kinds, marsh-plants like our bulrushes, sedges and horsetails, 
tree-ferns and reeds ; but they are neither abundant nor well preserved. 
Animal remains are numerous, varied, and beautiful. There are many 
species of corals and shells. The tracks of certain creatures, and deep 
burrows, sometimes eighteen inches deep and one and a half across, made 
by large burrowing worms, are frequently found. Many crustaceans are 
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