191 
illustration of what may be done by bringing local knowledge to 
bear upon particular facts, it may not be out of place here to 
introduce to the notice of the Club certain circumstances which 
have of late created a great sensation amongst geologists, and 
which serve again to warn us against accepting the dicta of even 
the most accomplished minds as though they were not only 
unquestionable, but as if it were heretical to question them. 
The reptiliferous Sandstones of Elgin, in the North of 
Scotland, have been long celebrated as furnishing the fossil 
remains of certain reptiles of which the Telerpeton elginense and 
the Hyperodapedon Gordoni, both highly organised reptilian 
forms are the most notable. These Sandstones have hitherto 
been attributed to the age of the“ Old Red Sandstone” by all 
geologists, including Sir Roderick Murchison, Professor Ramsay, 
and Hugh Miller. At the same time, however, there have not 
been wanting those, who looking to the type of the animal 
remains, have doubted their palcozoic character, though they 
hesitated in the face of such concurrent authority to admit their 
claims to a place in the mesozoic series. 
Previous to the meeting of the British Association at 
Aberdeen, Mr. Charles Moore, of Bath, visited the neighbour- 
hood of Elgin, and from his knowledge of the paleontology and 
geology of the Liassic and Triassic periods, completely changed 
the geologic history of these Elgin Sandstones. He discovered, 
by comparison of fossil evidences, that the so-called “ Old Red 
Sandstones,” were in truth attributable with all their contained 
reptiles and fishes to the age of the Trias, between which and 
the superimposed Lias, the intermediate junction-beds with the 
characteristic “‘ bone-bed ” are distinctly recognisable.. 
Upon the announcement of this discovery, the beds at Elgin 
were visited by the first physical geologists of the day, who have 
fully recognised and confirmed what the paleontological know- 
ledge and acumen of Mr. Moore, had first afforded a clue to un- 
ravel, and I have authority for stating, that Sir Charles Lyell 
intends omitting the Telerpeton, and his companions from the 
list of Upper Devonian fossils in the forthcoming (6th) Edition 
of the “ Manual.” 
The reptiliferous beds of Elgin are considered to be the 
equivalents of the Rhnchosaurus “ Sandstones” of Greenshill, near 
Shrewsbury, and of the “ Waterstones ” of Red Marley d’Abitot, 
and of Ombersley, in Worcestershire. 
We will now revert to the proceedings of the Club after leaving 
Garden Cliff. The next point visited was a small isolated mass 
of “ Upper Ludlow Rock,” at the back of Flaxley School, which 
constitutes the lowest stratum displayed in that vicinity, of those 
beds, by the upheaval of which, the edges of the Forest Coal- 
basin have been formed. The “ Tilestones ” rest upon this boss, 
dipping inwards comformably, while the “ New Red ” rests almost 
