232 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



it, occupied at one time the spot where Sauchiehall Street 

 now is. From this it is evident that some change has taken 

 place in the relative levels of the sea and land. 



One or two more proofs of this may be given, confining 

 ourselves, however, to the Clyde for illustrations. 



In Arran the road from Brodick to Corrie, and so onwards 

 round the north end of the island, occupies a flat and level 

 but not broad space of ground, a little elevated above the 

 level of the sea, and backed by a series of cliffs of consider- 

 able vertical height. These cliffs are full of caves, evidently 

 formed by the action of waves at one time beating against 

 them. Furthermore, the flat surface of the level between the 

 road and the foot of these cliffs is due to the rolling action of 

 the waves. I once . visited this place (1849), and obtained 

 from a ditch in what was then a field waving with corn a 

 series of shells. They were broken and worn, but when it is 

 remembered that when they were found at some distance 

 from the sea, and at a much higher level than the sea ever 

 reaches now, they are not without interest. 



The next illustration I refer to is the island of Little 

 Cumbrae, at one extremity of which (the whole island being 

 little more than a great rock) an old town of extreme antiquity 

 is built on the raised beach. Here, as in Arran, the beach is 

 flat and narrow, very little raised above the present level of 

 the sea, and immediately flanked by clifis rising abruptly from 

 it. I have not landed on this beach, and do not know if it 

 yields fossil evidence of its pristine character. 



The island of Bute presents us with the same physical 

 confirmation. On entering the Bay of Eothesay we observe 

 the line of contour of the surface presented against the sky 

 and water, and representing a long slope from the hills to near 

 the shore, when it descends abruptly to a flat space, not very 

 broad, before reaching the water. 



To the north of Eothesay again towards Port Bannatyne, 

 the hills descend much more abruptly, but between their base 

 and the water the plain is more extended. 



Advancing up the Clyde, the same beach is seen on both 

 sides. All along from Gourock southwards, the road to Largs 

 is formed upon it. In some places it is a mere shelf, but in 



