Xll PREFACE. 



u I shall begin with the first of these, and proceed nearly in 

 the order now mentioned. The northern part of the parish of 

 Dunse extends into the outskirts of tfee Lammermuirs. These 

 hills, as already mentioned, belong to the transition series, the 

 characterizing rocks of which are greywacke, and greywacke 

 slate *. It is difficult to ascertain whether or not the old red 

 sandstone forms the connecting link between these rocks and the 

 new red sandstone of the Merse ; but it is probable, that with 

 minute attention it may be observable f. In this part of our 

 survey, the most striking and important feature of the scenery 

 is Cockburn Law, a beautiful hill about 900 feet above the le- 

 vel of the sea, and equally interesting in an antiquarian, geolo- 

 gical, arid botanical point of view. The Whiteadder washes 

 the base of this hill, on the northern bank of which, em- 

 bowered in wood, lies the Retreat, a summer residence ot 

 much sweetness and beauty. The fundamental rocks here, as 

 seen on the banks, and in the bed of the Whiteadder. are the 

 greywacke and greywacke slate, but the greater part of the hill 

 itself consists of transition granite, trap, and porphyry. The 

 whole of Abbey St Bathan's, the adjacent parish towards the 

 north, we believe to consist of the ordinary greywacke, and its 

 accompanying slate, as also the parish of B uncle, towards the 

 east, where copper has been wrought to a considerable extent, 

 although, we believe, with very little profit to those engaged 

 in the concern. In this part of our course the most interesting 



* Greywacke has a basis of clay-slate, and in it imbedded portions of clay- 

 slate, grey quartz, and felspar. Generally, too, there is a good deal of mica 

 in it, especially in the neighbourhood of that part of these hills now noticed. 

 The slate is the same rock, only smaller grained, and having more clayslate. 



| The old red sandstone occurs in this manner farther towards the west at 

 Longformacus, and in the neighbourhood of Greenlaw. At the former of these 

 places, it forms the bed of the small river Dye. 



