84 REPORT—1850. 
generally uniform. At Corncockle the sandstone consists of beds of rock of varying 
thickness, having laminze which are better developed in the upper than in the lower 
parts of the stratum. In some cases the beds are separated from each other by thin 
Jayers of clay; on these, and also on the upper surface of some of the strata, the im- 
pressions abound; those on the ruck being more perfect than what the clay beds 
afford, owing in some cases to the thin layer of clay being completely pressed through, 
and the less yielding sand having confused the impression. Of the general charac- 
ters of the steps from Corncockle, Templand, Locherbriggs, and around Dumfries, 
there is such a resemblance between them as to show that the position of the strata 
at each of these localities is similar, and the general agreement in the composition 
of the sandstones also bears out this opinion, In the area occupied by the Bunter 
sandstone about Annan and the neighbourhood of the Solway Firth, we find con- 
siderable difference, both in the composition of the sandstone, and also in the nature 
of the footsteps. At Corse Hill, which may be taken as a type of this deposit about 
Annan, we have beds of clay about nine inches in thickness, interstratifying the sand- 
stone ; and the general appearance is such as to show that here the deposits are not 
far removed from the Keuper. The upper surface of these clay beds is commonly 
marked by vermicular-like ridges, which appear to have resulted from the erosion of 
currents on the soft surface of the clay. Amongst these markings, impressions of 
the footsteps of the Cheirotherium are sometimes met with, and in some instances 
marks of desiccation occur. 
In the districts about Corncockle and around Dumfries, above the beds which con- 
tain the impressions, coarser sandstones are met with which exceed a thickness of 100 
yards ; and above this coarse sandstone a thick deposit of conglomerate of more than 
that thickness is also found. Resting upon this conglomerate, we have beds which 
represent the lower portion of those which occur in the neighbourhood of Annan. 
But in this latter locality we have fully 100 yards of beds exposed, and consequently, 
connecting the whole thickness of the beds together, from the lower portion of Corn- 
cockle Muir to the beds which afford the steps of the Cheirotherium at Annan, we 
have a thickness of about 300 yard§: as however the conglomerate would accumu- 
late much more rapidly than a common sandstone, by excluding this. deposit, we 
should have more than 200 yards of sandstone, through which different impressions 
of footsteps are met with. 
As regards the different kinds of footmarks, we have associated at Corncockle the 
steps of what has been termed a small tortoise, with at least the impressions of three 
other animals, This small tortoise-like impression also occurs at Weston Point in 
Cheshire, where it is found in company with the steps of the Rhynchosaurus ; but as 
no traces of this latter animal have been met with in Dumfries-shire, we may infer 
that it was not called into existence when the sandstone of Corncockle Muir was 
being deposited ; and moreover, inasmuch as we have no traces of the other three 
animals coexistent with the little tortoise, we may infer that these animals had disap- 
peared before the creation of the Rhynchosaurus. As before stated, the Cheirothe- 
rium steps are found near Annan, and the general character of the beds here shows 
‘that they are nearly related to the Keuper. At Stourton, and also at Lymn, both in 
Cheshire, the footsteps of this animal occupy a high position in the Bunter sandstone. 
At Bemburg we find the Labyrinthodon also occurring in the higher beds of the Bunter; 
and Dr. Lloyd considers that the Labyrinthodon Bucklandi belongs rather to the 
higher portion of this deposit than to the lower beds of the Keuper. 
Considering the footsteps of the Bunter sandstone, we have in the highest portion 
the impressions of the Cheirotherium. Below these the footmarks of the Rhyncho- 
saurus occur associated with what are termed the steps of the tortoise; and at a 
depth of about 200 yards from the highest part of the Bunter, we have the tracts of 
several other animals, amongst which the small tortoise, which coexisted with the 
Rhynchosaurus, also appears. Mr. Harkness exhibited a drawing of the steps of a 
biped from Western Point, the first which has been noticed in this country. 
On the Representatives of the Mountain Limestone as they occur in Dumfries-. 
shire. By Ropert HarKNEss. 
After describing the relative position of this limestone to the other geological 
formations, the author proceeded to point out the district occupied by it, and also 
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