215 



(7.) Upper covering of gravel and boulders — nowhere exceeding 

 ten feet in thickness, and rising to a iieight of 900 feet above the 

 sea. 



(8.) Escisting soil. 



The particular characters of each of these deposits were fully de- 

 scribed, and the organic remains found in each taken notice of; the 

 places where they are visible were mentioned, as also the highest 

 level above the sea where the author had observed them. These 

 matters of mere fact occupied the first portion of the paper. 



In the last part of the paper were stated the inferences of the 

 author regarding the condition of things on the surface of the 

 globe (in this particular district) when the several deposits above 

 enumerated took place. 



(1.) The beds of sand and fine gravel indicate the prevalence 

 over the district of a deep sea, by the waters of which the shales 

 and sandstones and limestones of the coal-measures had been worn 

 down to a nearly uniform surface. Reference was made to a pa- 

 per on the coal-field of the Lothians, read at a previous meeting, 

 where it was stated, that the strata cut across by the Sheriff-hall 

 slip had sunk down ninety fathoms on the north side, in conse- 

 quence of which there had been a precipice of more than 500 feet 

 on the south side, all which had been worn down and washed away. 

 As the whole coal-field was riddled with similar slips, it was evi- 

 dent that abundance of materials would in this way be provided for 

 the formation of banks of sand and gravel. 



(2.) The next period was characterized by violent and extensive 

 movement in the waters which covered the district. The boulder- 

 clay had, with its imbedded boulders, been evidently brought from 

 the west. These boulders were most numerous to the east of 

 Arthur Seat, where they had been protected from the rush of wa- 

 ters. The ruts and scratches on the boulders, and in the subjacent 

 rocks, were, both in Mid-Lothian and in Fife, about W. by S. in 

 direction by compass ; and, moreover, many of the boulders imbed- 

 ded in the clay belonged to rocks which do not occur nearer than 

 Callendar. A deep excavation or scooping out in the rocks was 

 noticed as occurring between Niddry and Stoneybank, which exca- 

 vation is filled with large boulders. The waters which transported 

 this enormous mass of debris must have been at least 600 feet above 

 the level of the present sea. 



(8.) The stoney or gravel-clay, lying immediately over the 



