I 



ON THE SITELL-BH.VRING DEPOSITS AT CLAVA, AND OTHER PLACES. 483 



The Character of the High-level Shell-hearing Deposits at Olava, 

 Chapelhall, and other Localities. — Report of the Committee, 

 consisting of Mr. J. Horne (Chairman), Mr. David Kobertson, 

 Mr. T. F. Jamieson, Mr. James Fraser, Mr. P. F. Kendall, 

 and Mr. Dugald Bell (Secretary). (Drawn tip by Mr. Horne, 

 Mr. Fraser, and Mr. Bell ; tvith Special Reports on the 

 Organic Reraains, by Mr. Kobertson.) 



[Plates .II, III.] 



CONTENTS, 



I. Introduction 483 



II. Geographical Position 483 



III. Previous Observations regarding Clava Shelly Clay .... 483 



IV. Detailed Examination of the Shelly Clay and Associated Deposits by 



Committee 484 



V. Direction of Ice-flow near Inverness 498 



VI. Report on Organic Remains by Mr. Robertson, &c ,502 



VII. Summary of the Evidence and General Conclusions .... 511 



VIII. Appendix containing ' Minority Note ' 512 



I. — Inteoduction. 



The investigation of the character of the high-level shell-bearing 

 deposits at Clava, Chapelhall, and other localities has been undertaken 

 with the view of re-examining the evidence bearing on the submergence 

 of Scotland during the Glacial period. Recent contributions to the 

 literature of glacial geology in this and other countries have raised doubts 

 regarding the extent of this submergence. Selecting the shelly clay at 

 Clava as a typical example of the Scottish high-level shell beds, the Com- 

 mittee have meanwhile confined their operations to this locality. The 

 grant from the British Association having proved insufficient for the 

 work, the investigations at Clava have been completed by a grant obtained 

 through the courtesy of Sir Archibald Geikie from the Council of the 

 Royal Society of London, and by private subscriptions raised by the 

 Secretary of the Committee. 



II. — Geographical Position; " 



The shell-bearing deposit at Clava occurs on the east side of the 

 valley of the Nairn, and six miles due east of the town of Inverness. 

 Situated on the south bank of the Cassie Burn, a tributary of AUt Ruadh 

 (the Red Burn), the latter being an affluent of the river Nairn, the shelly 

 clay is about half a mile distant from the Nairn, about 200 feet above the 

 level of that river at Clava, and about 500 feet above the sea-level (see 

 map, p. 499). 



III. — Previous Observations regarding the Shellt Clat. 



The first description of this deposit was given by Mr. James 

 Fraser, C.E., Inverness,' who made a careful examination of the section 



' See Trans. Geol. Soo. Edinb., vol. iv. Part ii. 1883; also Trans. Inverness Field 

 ^ub, vol. ii. 



I I 2 



