Transactions. 105 



Ferguson of Donkin, Kirtlebridge, and extensively wrought by 

 him then. A few minutes takes us to the quarry, and the same 

 time to where the lime stone is burnt, and at the same spot are 

 some great heaps of unburnt limestone, and from these heaps I 

 got some very fine specimens of corals, which were easily polished 

 by rubbing on a piece of sandstone and water, then with water of 

 Ayr stone to a line surface. If water is then used, and if it is 

 finished off with putty powder made up into a paste, and rubbed up 

 a with piece of flannel, it will be very pretty. When walking 

 over the quarry there are some good sections to be seen there, 

 and we should notice the strike and lie of the strata. Some of 

 the quarrymen may have some specimens laid past, and 

 should be asked. Among the fossils which are obtained in 

 this locality are Orthoccritite of a large size, also acthioceres of 

 great size, about 8 inches diameter at top, running to a pointy 

 some of them 6 and 7 feet long. The cottagers at Blacketridge 

 make gate posts of them. Bivalve shells are I'rodiiclus giganleum^ 

 Productus semireticulatus, and others, Spirifer euomphalus, 

 Bellerophon, and many more, but they are difficult to take out of the 

 hard limestone, and require a chisel and hammer. Fislies range 

 through the system, but are most abundant in the limestone and 

 lower measures. The Hu spines of gijracanthsus are also in other 

 parts of the system, some 20 inches long. Some of the teeth of 

 the large fishes are got 5-7 inches long. We also find a common 

 fossil in the shales of the mountain limestone and coal measures, 

 as we find in the secondary formations tlie coprolite or fossil 

 excrement of fishes and saurians, in which are frequently found 

 scales and pieces of shells and other remains of ancient life. In 

 the coal measures those coprolites are no doubt those of fishes, 

 and in many parts are so abundant as to make up the greater 

 part of the stratum. 



After having visited tlie quarries previously mentioned it 

 would be well to visit Blacketridge Quarry. Lithostrotion 

 irregulare (Philips), a rare coral, L. junceicni (Ure), and many 

 others are got at this quarry. It is just about two miles from 

 Donkin lime kilns. After the limestone has been examined for a 

 specimen of the coral on the top of the limestone collected for 

 burning, we now get on to the main road. After passing to the 

 other side we come to a road at right angles, where there are a 

 number of cottage.s, and there alwavs are a few fossils lying at 



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