408 Proceedings of the IFeruen'cm Society. 



iK:to hoOT far the popular notions agreed with natural appearances, and 

 said, that from this he had found that the phenomena detected by him in 

 the field gave quite the reverse of support to the sentiments of the greater 

 number of British and many Continental observers. He had not noticed 

 what is called an anticlinal arrangement in the strata around granite 

 masses, but, on the contrary, had observed that these probably never de- 

 range thatSE. dip which is so universally held by the transition or grey- 

 wacke group, and tlie v.ijvi- ancient or gneiss and mica-slate systems of 

 Scotland, il was stated, also, that what are styled " contortions," are 

 as abundant at a distance from granite, as in its immediate vicinity. Mr 

 Cunningham having concluded his notice of the positional relation of 

 strata to granite, next proceeded to examine the connexion of granite 

 veins with strata, defining that what he meant by granite vein, was a 

 " granite mass, one extremity of which was found to originate in a prin- 

 cipal mass of granite rock." Granite was stated to have been considered 

 by most geologists as affording strong arguments in favour of its having 

 been so produced as to effect motion among strata, — the author, however, 

 said, that he could not agree with these observers in their opinions con- 

 cerning granite ; he adduced numerous reasons of dissent, among which 

 were, 1st, Tliat, in almost every instance, the integrant laminaj of a stra- 

 tum agree so exactly with each other on both sides of a granite vein, that 

 if the intervening granite could be removed they would be in contact 

 without exhibiting the slightest dislocation or shift. 2d, That granite 

 veins, when occurring in apparently bent strata, are often disposed among 

 their laminte or lines of stratifications, so as to conform to their most in- 

 tricate flexures. These associations were viewed as shewing that the re- 

 lations of strata to a great granite region, were the same as those which 

 existed between a granite vein and the position of strata or of their com- 

 posing larainic. Numerous localities were cited where the sceptical hi 

 regard to these facts might test them ; the Needle's-eye, in Dumfriesshire — 

 the Banks of Loch Doon — the Windy Shoulder, near New Galloway ; 

 Arran, and Sutherlandshire, were especially pointed out as being localir 

 ties where the detailed phenomena were exhibited ; the reason whj' these 

 had been selected was stated to be, that they had generally been consi^ 

 dered points where the Plutonic formation of granite was well supported. 

 8d, The author said, that some might view what he had described as 

 granite veins conforming to contorted strata as mere alternating layers of 

 granitic gneiss, but observed, that it was impossible to view them in such 

 A light, for he had traced them into a larger granite mass, and had found 

 also several of the granite conforming veins uniting to each other by ra- 

 mifications from them, which branches or ramifications crossed the strata. 



■at an angle. ,'.! VMi;;!; 



Mr Cunningham then adverted to the " so-called fragments" of strata 

 which occur in granite mountains and granite veins, and stated, that 

 whether these were to.b.e viewed as fragments or uot, they seemed to in-j. 

 dicate that thev had not been subjected to violent motion, fo: the reason 



