GEOLOGY OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. XXXI11. 



before been recognised in a fossil state. Upwards of twenty new 

 species of ganoid fishes were obtained from these beds, and out of the 

 sixteen genera to which these species belong five are new to science. 

 Few of the species are common to the carboniferous rocks of the 

 Lothians, which has an important bearing on the physical history of that 

 period. Along with the fishes were found about an equal number of 

 Crustacea new to science, comprising about twenty species of the higher 

 Crustacea, together with Eurypterids and Limaloids. No less interest- 

 ing is the discovery of several new species of scorpions, the occurrence 

 of which in carboniferous rocks has been extremely rare. The speci- 

 mens recently obtained are admirably preserved, and from a minute 

 examination of them it is evident that they closely resemble their living 

 representatives. Every structure of the recent form has been recognised 

 in the fossil scorpions from this horizon, including the hairs and hooks 

 on the feet. The sting alone has not been certainly observed, but that 

 it existed may be inferred from the presence of the poison gland which 

 has been detected in the fossil state. The remains of several new 

 plants were also found in the fine shales from the river Esk. 



The organic remains found in the different subdivisions of the 

 carboniferous rocks bordering the Solway are of great value in correlat- 

 ing them with their representatives in the midland valley of Scotland. 

 The cementstone bands of Tarras Water and Ecclefechan are largely 

 composed of microzoa, chiefly Entomostraca ; others are almost entirely 

 made up of minute gasteropods. 



Between the foregoing horizon and the true marine limestone series 

 of Penton, the river Esk and Kelhead, there is an intervening group of 

 thin limestones, which, from the presence of Lamellibranchs and gastero- 

 pods, indicate shore conditions during their deposition. The Lamelli- 

 branchs are represented by Myalina Crassa, M. lamellosa, Modiola 

 modioloformis, M. Macadami, Aviculopecten dissimilis ; the gastero- 

 pods by Natichopsis plicistria, Bellerophon Urei, Murchisonia Verneuil- 

 liana; and the brachiopods by Camerophoria Crumena, Athyris ambigua, 

 Productus semireticulatus, etc. 



The marine limestone series of Penton, the river Esk, etc., from the 

 abundance of corals, point to deposition in clear water. Amongst the 

 corals obtained from these beds may be mentioned Lonsdalea flori- 

 formis, Lithodendron junceum, L. irregulare, Lithostrotion Portlocki, L. 

 basaltiforme, Laplorentis cylindrinca, Chaetetes tumidus. The brachio- 

 pods are represented by Productus semireticulatus, Athyris ambigua, 

 and Rhynconella pleurodon ; the Lamellibranchs by Edmundia sulcata, 

 etc. From the foregoing assemblage of organic remains, it is highly 

 probable that some of these marine limestones may be the equivalents 

 of the marine zones of the carboniferous limestone series of the mid- 

 land valley. 



The recent researches of Mr Kidston have led him to the conclusion 



