Geological Features of the District of Buchan. 43 



may gather it rests there upon gneiss. It is impure, containing a good deal 

 of magnesia. Beautiful crystals of Iceland spar are met with in drusy 

 cavities in the rock. 



The country presents numerous simple minerals. Many varieties of 

 quartz, such as milk, rose, violet, ferruginous, spongy-form, &c.; and some- 

 times very large specimens of rock crystal are picked up in the fields. 

 Jasper is common. Veins of antimony are found in the granite, as are 

 also some ores of iron in small quantities. Manganese in the dentritic 

 form, is seen sometimes in the limestone. Crystals of schorl, sometimes 

 of large size, I have often procured in huge fragments of white quartz. 

 In one spot there is a quarry of these quartz blocks, some of which are 

 of great size. They are not water-worn. I once picked up a piece of 

 granite covered with crystals of Beryl. 



In the peat are found trunks of trees, principally oak; and large 

 quanties of birch and hazel, with nuts of the latter. Not a hazel bush 

 has been seen in the district for upwards of a hundred years, yet in some 

 places, by simply turning over the turf, hundreds and thousands of hazel 

 nuts may be laid bare. The antlers of stags have also been dug up in 

 the district, but not recently. 



I must now call your attention to another geological feature of very 

 peculiar interest. It was stated by Dr. John Sheii-, to the natural history 

 class, Mareschal College, 1839, that the greensand was said to exist in 

 Cruden. * I have caused as particular an examination to be made as was 

 possible at such a distance from the spot, and I have received specimens 

 which I have submittted to Mr. Bryce, and which entitles us to say that 

 the greensand is found in Cruden. 



The deposit in which it occurs seems to run through two parishes, 

 Slains and Cruden, and differs in its lithological character in different 

 places. My specimens are from two points, six or eight miles distant 

 from each other. The first or southmost point, is about two miles inland 

 from CoUieston. The deposit takes the form of a ridge of hills sui-round- 

 ing three sides of a loch. This loch has been ascertained to be in one 

 place fifty-two feet deep, and the hills rise around it to a height of 

 from forty to fifty feet. They are composed of gravel mingled with 

 comminuted shells, and containing water-worn nodules of limestone, mica 

 slate, and gneiss. The limestone nodules contain organic remains. 

 Among the specimens sent me, only one contains organic remains; I 

 cannot, however, determine what they are. I have also received several 

 specimens of the sand and gravel among which the nodules occur. After 

 removing the recent helices, there still remains the debris of broken 

 seemingly marine shells. The nodules are much water-worn. Although 

 I describe this portion of this curious deposit in this place, it by no 

 means answers to the character of greensand. 



• This fact was comrounicutcil by the late Dr. Kniglit to Dr. Thomas Thomson 

 nearly twenty yeans ago. — Eorr. 



