322 MR MILNE ON THE MID-LOTHIAN AND EAST-LOTHIAN COAL-FIELDS. 



submarine surface dips rapidly from the shore, the old bank is at very few places 

 at all perceptible. 



With reference to the height above the sea at which these shells occur, it 

 may be proper to observe, that there is much irregularity. This is, of com-se, 

 owing partly to the impossibilitj^ of discovering the maximum height everywhere 

 along the coast. At the same time, I am far ft-om saying that these shells form 

 everywhere a continuous bed along the coast. Sometimes they cover the whole 

 space intei-vening between the shore and the old bank ; sometimes they can be 

 traced only half-way to the bank from the shore ; at other places, they do not 

 occm- at all, the whole intervening space being covered by sand without shells. 



This deposit of sand and shells, mixed with gravel and boulders, is undoubt- 

 edly an old beach, which had been formed by the sea, when its level was con- 

 siderably higher than it is at present. I have heard some persons say, that the 

 shells may have been hhien up to the level they now occupy. Tliis notion is 

 (piite u-reconcUable with one fact, which I may here mention. On the coast to the 

 south of Dunbar, there is a small bay called Skateraw. The shelly deposit there 

 contains numerous fragments of limestone, derived most probably from the strata 

 of limestone which occur in the immediate vicinity to the north and west. Most 

 of these limestone fragments are bored with Plmlkulai, and I found the shells in 

 the stone. Moreover some of these fragments had smooth surfaces, and on some 

 of them I found numerous specimens of Serpulce and Patella inilgaris sticking. 

 These shells are now, therefore, in the exact situation where they hved. At this 

 place, the shelly deposit is 13 feet above high-water mark. 



The height of this shelly deposit above the sea, is less on the shore of the open 

 sea (as at SkateraAv and Dimglass), than it is in the upper parts of the Frith of 

 Forth. At the former, it is no more than 12 or 13 feet above high- water mark ; 

 at the latter, it is about 30 feet. 



In Dirleton Common, there is an isolated rock of greenstone about 300 yards 

 from the shore. It rises to the height of about 00 feet above high- water mark, 

 and it is about 300 yards in chcumference. I found the Patella vulgaris) in great 

 abimdance on every' part of this rock, to the height of 39 feet above high- water 

 mark. At the same time, it is right to mention, that I did not find any shell ac- 

 tually adhering to the rock. But 1 have a strong impression, that on clearing away 

 the sandy soil which covers the rock, this important discovery Avould be made. 



It is proper to add, that, in this shelly deposit, other organic remains have 

 been occasionally found. I was informed, that at Dunbar, and in the church- 

 yard of Aberlady, the horns of a species of deer Avere found. In the Dunglass 

 old beach, I picked out some bones, two of which I shewed to Dr Knox, who 

 obligingly examined them for me, and reported them to be those of a small spe- 

 cies of ox. 



With reference to the old bank above referred to, I would add some remarks. 



