132 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



dition. The Cardiaclm, which are, curiously, not so numerous 

 as any of these now mentioned, have as a rule the shells 

 entire, their hinges complete and fastened, open in front, 

 with the highly-marked sickle-like foot of the animal pro- 

 truding. 



Looking at the distribution of these forms in depth, 

 Buccinum is met with from low water to a hundred fathoms, 

 Lutraria from low water to twelve fathoms, Cyjprina from 

 five to eighty fathoms, Pecten from fifteen to twenty-five 

 fathoms. The other two are low-water forms. 



Certain species one might have expected to find in con- 

 siderable numbers, were represented only by broken shells 

 here and there, as Solen siliqua, Fusus antiquus, and Chiton 

 fascicidaris. 



From the facts now narrated, I infer (1.) That the destruc- 

 tion of certain forms of moUuscan life has been unusually 

 great during the recent gales ; (2.) that the four species first 

 mentioned must have been brought from a distance, having 

 evidently been dashed by a tempestuous sea on a rocky shore 

 before they were cast on the gently sloping sandy beach, 

 where they were left by the tide at the cessation of the gales ; 

 (3.) that the condition of the shore as now referred to is 

 highly suggestive as shedding light on some geological pheno- 

 mena. More than twenty years ago, when passing along the 

 Bathgate hills, I was attracted to a limestone quarry by an 

 unusually loud report in connection with blasting operations. 

 The workmen had arranged to fire several heavy shots almost 

 simultaneously, and great masses of rock were torn from their 

 bed, revealing in them great numbers of Productidm, Spiri- 

 feridm, Euom]3haliy here and there fragments of Orthoceros, all 

 of them, one might almost say, ''^pounded'' together, in associa- 

 tion with Favosites, Cyathophyllnm, etc. For few, if any, of 

 the molluscan remains had been embedded entire. It might 

 be asked, " Were these laid down in connection with the action 

 of forces analogous to those which sorted the forms on the 

 shore now described?" 



