TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 643 



picion that certain patches of sandstone, occurring both on the 

 east and west coast of Scotland, might be considered as new red 

 sandstone. 



That the grauwacke schist and its associate beds of limestone 

 contain organic remains, has not yet been shown. The author 

 exhibited a specimen of the Arbroath pavement containing ve- 

 getables, and he stated that Mr. Lindsay Carnegie of Kimbleth- 

 mont in Angus had presented to the College Museum some 

 striking specimens of remains inclosed in the Arbroath pave- 

 ment, one of which appeared to belong to a crustaceous animal. 



But it was shown that organic remains had been most abim- 

 dantly found in the carboniferous group, characteristic of the 

 basins of the Forth and the Clyde, which the author had pre- 

 viously described at the meetings of the Royal Society of Edin- 

 burgh. Certain limestones for instance, namely those of Bur- 

 diehouse. East Calder, Burntisland, &c., which he conceived to 

 be of freshwater origin, and belonging to the lower members 

 of the carboniferous group, severally contain both vegetable and 

 animal remains. 



The limestone of Kirkton, near Bathgate, is remarkable for 

 ks mammillated and ribboned structure ; which last peculiarity 

 is produced by thin layers of pure flinty matter alternating 

 vrith other distinct layers, which are severally calcareous, ar- 

 gillacous, or bituminous. This rock has a striking resemblance 

 to the tertiary limestones of Auvergne, which exhibit a similar 

 character where they come in contact with volcanic eruptions ; 

 and hence, as the limestone of Kirkton alternates with tufa, 

 and is in the immediate neighbourhood of trap-rocks, it pro- 

 bably owes its peculiar geological character to similar circum- 

 stances. ^ This limestone contains numerous plants, as well as 

 the remains of a most remarkable crustaceous animal, a nearly 

 complete specimen of which the author was enabled to exhibit 

 to the Meeting, through the kindness of Dr. Simpson of Bath- 

 gate, into whose possession the relic had fallen. The author 

 remarked, that a larger head of the same animal had been de- 

 scribed by Dr. Scholer; but as this naturalist had unfor- 

 tunately not seen the extremity of the animal, the description 

 was of necessity imperfect*. 



* Incidental to this notice, Mr. Smith of Jordan-hill, near Glasgow, exhibited 

 to the Society the more perfect head of the animal described by Dr. Scholer. 

 And Mr. Jameson Torrie placed in Dr. Hibbert's hands a memoir just published 

 by Dr. Harlan of America, in which fossil remains are figured of a similar 

 character, but of the diminutive size of five inches only. The generic name of 

 Eurypterii^ has been given to the American specimen. Dr. Hibbert announced 

 that drawings, accompanied by a description of this singular animal, would be 

 shortly published. 



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