The Nicol Memorial. 889 



his opinions. In the development of his researches he showed 

 sterling honesty of purpose. 



His work in the field may be summed up in two propositions. 

 First, he showed that the red sandstone formation, which he named 

 the " Torridon Sandstone ", was separated from the overlying 

 quartzites and fossiliferous limestones by a great unconformity, 

 implying a gap in the geological record. This important structural 

 feature was traced by Nicol for a distance of one hundred miles 

 from the north of Sutherland to Loch Kishorn. Second, he con- 

 tended that no conformable upward succession from the fossiliferous 

 limestone to the overlying schists is to be found. To quote his own 

 words : " The line of junction, where this conformable succession 

 is said to occur, is clearly a line of fracture, everywhere indicated by 

 proofs of fracture, contortion of the strata, and powerful igneous 

 action." 



Such widely different interpretations gave rise to keen controversy. 

 The progress of geology, like that of other sciences, is bound up with 

 controversy. The brethren of the hammer fight keenly ; indeed, 

 the odium geologicum rivals at times the odium theologicum. 

 . Murchison's order of succession, which was supported by Sir 

 Andrew Ramsay, Professor Harkness, and Sir Archibald Geikie, 

 met with general acceptance because it furnished such a simple 

 solution of the problem. 



In 1878 the controversy was reopened and Murchison's position 

 was shown to be untenable by several investigators, of whom the 

 most prominent was the late Professor Lapworth,^ follov/ed by 

 Dr. Callaway,^ Professor BonnQy,^ Dr. Hicks, and others. 



In 1883 the Geological Survey began the detailed mapping of 

 that region. The results of their work completely confirmed Nicol's 

 main conclusions.^ We now know that the structure of that 

 mountain chain is intensely complicated, far more complicated 

 than Nicol imagined. Under extreme lateral pressure the rocks 

 have behaved like brittle rigid bodies ; they have snapped 



^ Professor Charles Lapworth, "The Secret of the Highlands": Geol. 

 Mag., 1883, pp. 120-8, 193-9, 337-44. " On the Stratigraphy and 

 Metamorphism of the Rocks of the Durness-EireboU District " : read at the 

 Ordinary Meeting of the Geologists' Association, July 4, ]884, by Professor 

 C. Lapworth ; printed as read, with a few words added in brackets for 

 clearness of description, by J. J. H. Teall, Geol. Mag., 1885, pp. 103-6. 

 Professor C. Lapworth, " The Close of the Highland Controversy" : Geol. 

 Mag., 1885, pp. 97-103. 



2 Dr. Callaway, Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, May, 1881 ; Geol. Mag., 1883, 

 p. 139. Id., "Torridon Sandstone and Ordovician Eocks of the Northern 

 Highlands": Q.J.G.S., vol. xxxviii, 1882, pp. 114-17. Id., "Age of the 

 Gneissic Rocks of the Northern Highlands": Q.J.G.S., vol. xxxix, 1883, 

 pp. 355-414. 



'■' Professor T. G. Bonney, " Lithological Character of Scottish Eocks" 

 (Dr. Hicks' Collection) : Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxxix, 1883, 

 pp. 159-66; (and Dr. Callaway's Collection), vol. xxxix, pp. 414-20. 



* Drs. B. N. Peach & J. Home: "Preliminary Report on the Geology of 

 the Durness-EireboU District " : Nature, November, 1884, vol. xxxi, p. 19. 



