near St. Andrews. 201 



burn ; but, from recent alterations, it can now be seen only on 

 the north side, and there to a limited extent. Taking the 

 utmost stretch of this deposit, it appears not to occupy a super- 

 ficial area of more than 100 yards each way. Although thus 

 contracted, there is reason to thmk that it may be the remnant 

 of a more extensive bed which the action of the sea had reduced 

 to its present diminutive dimensions ages ago, when the relative 

 levels of land and sea, and perhaps the outline of the coast, 

 were somewhat different from what they are now. This clay 

 has been known for years to contain shells ; little notice, how- 

 ever, appears to have been taken of it beyond occasionally 

 picking out a few Scrobieularia as they were washed bare by 

 the burn. In this state the matter remained till about two 

 years ago, when the proprietor cut a water-course and a pit for 

 a mill-wheel through the deposit, on the south side of the bum. 

 Although these excavations were not very extensive, they re- 

 sulted in the turning up of a number of marine shells and some 

 mammalian bones, which had the effect of directing attention 

 more particularly to the subject. A short time afterwards, 

 during the sinking of a well opposite the former excavation, but 

 further from the edge of the burn, a considerable number of 

 shells of different species were again observed. This well was 

 dug 9 feet deep, and the section taken as accurately as possible. 

 In order, however, to test the strata as far as the condition of 

 things would allow, another pit was dug for this purpose, still 

 further from the burn, and higher above the level of the sea 

 than either of the previous excavations, the surface of the ground 

 at this part being about 10 feet above the sea-level. 



The following section is from the latter of these pits ; and it 

 may be observed that the only appreciable difference between 

 the two sections was in the second bed of the former being 

 somewhat thinner than that of the latter, owing, perhaps, to its 

 proximity to the burn, by which the sand and gravel might 

 have been washed away before the stream cut out its present 

 channel : — 



1. Black vegetable earth 1 6 



2. Coarse sand, numerous small rolled stones, and lit- 



toral shells 2 6 



3. Brown sandy clay, few stones or shells 1 4 



4. Bluish-brown clay, with here and there thin part- 



ings of fine white sand ; shells plentiful ; the bed 



not cut through 4 9 



The contents of the second bed corresponded in every respect 

 with the materials on the sands at the east of the town at the 

 present day. The contained shells were chiefly Patella vulgata. 



