8 



north, off a supposed anticline near Hawick, and were considered 

 to constitute a single ascending series not less than five miles 

 (26,000 feet) thick. At intervals there occurred bands of black 

 shale, never more than five or six hundred feet thick, which seemed 

 to be part of the conformable series. These shales yielded almost 

 the only fossils, chiefly graptolites, and very little else. 



Now the graptolites collected from one band as a whole were 

 quite comparable with those found in every other band, and the 

 fauna of the lowest band was not appreciably different from that 

 of the highest. Many of these graptolites had been found in the 

 Llandeilo rocks of Wales. These conclusions, if reliable, led 

 inevitably to the following deductions : 



(1) As there was no change in fauna or lithological character 

 the whole series must belong to one Formation. 



(2) The recognised fossils were, or were thought to be, Llandeilo 

 forms hence that Formation would be the equivalent of 

 the Llandeilo. 



(3) As the same graptolites were found in every shale band 

 throughout five miles of rock, the graptolites as a class 

 were useless as time-indices. 



(4) As 26,000 feet of rock had been deposited during the life 

 time of the Llandeilo graptolites, either : 



(a) Deposition had been excessively rapid, although 

 the greywackes include ten or twelve black shale 

 bands deposited in deep water ; or 



(b) The graptolites presented an example of a group 

 of organisms which had stood still during the 

 lapse of a long period of time. They were in 

 contradiction to the theory of progress and 

 evolution which was beginning to receive 

 valuable support from geology, particularly in 

 rocks of later ages. 



From what we know of Lapworth's method oi work we may 

 feel sure that either before or very soon after beginning his field 

 work he had got hold of all the published information on the 

 Uplands, and that his logical mind would soon draw some such 

 deductions as those outlined above. 



Further, from his profound belief in well grounded scientific 

 principles we may readily suppose that conclusions so much in 

 conflict with what was then known in other branches of geological 

 enquiry would be inacceptable, and that he would feel that the 

 foundations on which they were supposed to rest must be tested 

 with great care. 



It is true Barrande had formulated his theory of ' colonies ' 

 to explain similar anomalies in Bohemia, and that theory had been 



