SKY. GEOLOGY. RED SANDSTONE. 305 



become vertical. If this portion of the whole mass 

 alone were considered, it would be concluded that the 

 sandstone series was conformable to the gneiss, but it 

 has already been shown to have the reverse position at 

 its commencement, and will hereafter be seen to be simi- 

 larly placed, not only at its termination, but in many 

 intermediate places along the courses of the beds. 



Although the schist is not abundant throughout the 

 space which extends from the Kyle rich to Moil Castle, 

 it is never altogether absent; while it again recurs with 

 increased frequency and unaltered characters as the series 

 approaches to its termination and assumes the more ordi- 

 nary character of red sandstone. 



At Moil Castle this character first becomes dis- 

 tinct; the individual grains of felspar and quartz being 

 visible, and the rock in some places assuming the aspect 

 of a coarse grit. On passing this point the beds become 

 vertical without any change of composition, and then 

 gradually incline to the westward ; still preserving, for 

 a long space, even where least elevated, an angle of not 

 less than thirty degrees. Here, the blue quartz rock, 

 the schist, and the red sandstone alternate ; while the 

 beds in their further progress upwards subsiding gradually 

 to lower elevations, terminate at length in an angle of 

 ten degrees, on the shore near Lucy, where, after the 

 intervention of a sandy bay that conceals the point of 

 change, they are followed in the same order by the lime- 

 stone ; the last beds for a considerable space consisting of 

 an ordinary red argillaceous sandstone. 



Such is the order of the north-eastern natural section 

 of this series, and as the direction of the beds is rectilinear, 

 it might naturally be concluded that the history of this 

 portion would be that of the whole mass through its 

 entire extent. This conclusion is proved to be fallacious 

 by the examination of other portions. 



In a country so encumbered with deep soil, such access 

 cannot always be had to the rocks as to enable us to 



VOL. I. X 



