170 Dr Hissert on the Limestone of Burdiehouse 
specimens of fish allied to such as are obtained from beds asso- 
ciated with coal. These facts indicated to me that I had at 
length found a fresh-water limestone belonging to the carboni- 
ferous group of rocks. 
This fresh-water formation, which has formed the object of 
my research, is referable to the lower series of beds belonging 
to the carboniferous system. In describing it, the First Part 
of the present memoir will be confined to a geological description 
of the limestone of Burdiehouse, in reference solely to the vege- 
table and animal remains which it encloses ;—a srconp Part will 
point out the relations of this limestone to both older and newer 
rocks ;—while a supPLEMENT will include notices of certain other 
limestones of a similar description, occurring in the vicinity of 
Edinburgh. 
PART I. 
THE FRESH-WATER LIMESTONE OF BURDIEHOUSE CONSIDERED IN 
REFERENCE TO THE VEGETABLE ANDANIMAL REMAINS WHICH 
IT ENCLOSES. 
No geological description whatever having been hitherto 
given of this limestone, which, until it had been examined by 
myself, and its high interest explained to the Royal Society of 
Edinburgh, had been almost unknown, even by name, I must, 
upon this account, consider myself as having entered upon a 
ground pertectly unbeaten, which I tread with diffidence. 
This bed of limestone is quarried, with much profit, for the 
purpose of burning. It is to be seen about four miles to the 
south of Edinburgh, on the Peebles road, close to the village 
known by the name of Burdiehouse, which is a corruption of 
Bourdeaux House. 
NOTES. 
In the Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol. i. p. 311, 
some little account is given of this village by the Rev. Tuomas Wuirz, in his 
