140 
taken as indicating the termination of the “‘ Old Red” period, 
a period which is believed to represent mainly a fresh-water, 
or, in parts, an estuarine condition. 
Many years ago, Sir Henry pre 1a Becue and, after him, 
Sir AnpreEw Ramsay pointed out that the carboniferous rocks 
in the south-west of England rest on the Old Red Sandstone, 
which they regarded as constituting the base on which rests 
the great carboniferous division. But in Scotland the condi- 
tions are different—the limestone does not rest immediately 
on the Old Red series, but upon an intermediate group of 
deposits, to which the term “ Calciferous Sandstones” has been 
given. “Now,” said Mr Weruerep, “if we examine the 
sandy beds before us, we shall find that they are very distinct 
lithologically from the conglomerate and the sandstones of the 
“Old Red,’ and that they occupy a position intermediate 
between the latter formation and the limestone shales which 
follow.” These calciferous beds, as they occur in Berwickshire, 
are thus described in the memoirs of the Geological Survey of 
Scotland :—“ The sandstones at the base of the group pass into 
a remarkable series of sandy shales in rapidly alternating bands 
of various shades of green, grey, blue, and a kind of lilac 
colour; ordinary black argillaceous shale is of rare occur- 
rence.” It was pointed out that, both in stratigraphical 
position and in lithological character, the series of sandy beds 
in the Drybrook section, correspond closely with the Calciferous 
series of Berwickshire. 
Dr Wricut strongly supported Mr WeTHERED’s views, and 
read a letter from Professor Gerrxiz, written in reply to a 
request from the Doctor that the Professor would examine the 
section by Messrs Jonzs and Lucy in the published “ Trans- 
actions” of the Club, which elicited from the Professor the 
reply that he recognised “ the closest resemblance between the 
beds below the carboniferous limestone, of Drybrook, and those 
which we call the Calciferous Sandstones in Scotland.” 
Passing upwards to Mr Bain’s quarry, the party found them- 
selves in the Lower Limestone Shales, in which the beds 
were crowded with fossils, abounding in Encrinites and 
+ » Git -4 ei tb er a) ts eth, 
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