Watson & HicJding — Triassic and Permian of Moray. 399 



lA''. — On thk Triassic and Permian Rocks of Moray. 

 By D. M. S. Watson, M.Sc, and G. Hickling, D.Sc. 



SOME time ago one of us [9] showed that the 'New Red 

 Sandstone ' rocks of Morayshire may be divided into three 

 groups, two of which are of Permian age and the other Triassic. 

 The recent very rapid increase in our knowledge of Permian and 

 Triassic reptilian faunas allows of a closer correlation than was 

 attempted in the former paper. 



To the fauna of the Trias two new types have been added from 

 the Lossiemouth quarries, viz. Brachyrhinodon Taylori, v. Huene [5], 

 a Rhynchocephalian, and Saltopiis £lg{nensis, v. Huene [4], which 

 is said to be a Dinosaur. None of the Triassic species, except 

 Hyperodapedon Gordoni, is known from any other locality, so that 

 there is little direct evidence of their age, but Professor v. Huene, 

 whose experience of Triassic faunas is unrivalled, believes them to be 

 of the same age as the Lettenkohle [6], a determination which may 

 be provisionally accepted. 



Whatever the precise horizon, the absence of Labyrinthodonts 

 is remarkable (it now seems certain that Basygnathux does not belong 

 to that group), but is probably to be explained by the prevalence 

 of desert conditions. All the species known from Elgiu appear to be 

 dry-land types. 



No new types have recently been added to the Permian group from 

 Cuttie's Hillock Quarry. Ttie species there present are Gordonia 

 Juddiana, E. T. Newton, and four other species ; Geikia Elginense, 

 E. T. Newton ; Elginia mirahilis, E. T. Newton. 



Gordonia is a typical ' Dicynodon ' and agrees very closely with 

 certain specimens o? that genus from tlie Cisticephalm zone of the 

 Karoo, of Upper Permian age. 



Geikia is a more interesting and unusual type. It is not closely 

 ])aralleled by anj* other known form, but is simply derived from 

 Dicynodon by the development of horns on the nasals. Among the 

 types in the Cisticephahis zone of South Africa a similar tendency 

 is observable, though in a less degree, in the development of slight 

 thickenings or even distinct knobs, which may be regarded as 

 ' rectigradations ' of the Geikia horns. The Cisticephalus zone is the 

 equivalent of the Pariasaurus beds of the Russian Dwyna, which 

 are sliown by the occurrence of marine fossils to be Upper Permian. 



Elginia is related to Pariasaurus as is Geikia to Gordonia. Its great 

 spinosity is a very advanced character. The typical Pariasaurians 

 of the Pariasaurus zone of South Africa are only moderately 

 ornamented with bosses and scutes. Those from the liigher 

 Cisticephalus zone (e.g. Propappus) show a much greater development 

 of dermal armour and a further increase in spinosity. Judging from 

 Professor Amalitzski's photographs, the types from the equivalent 

 Upper Permian horizon of Russia are also very much ornamented and 

 much covered with scutes, although none are known to be so spinous 

 as Elginia, which represents the acme of spinosity in this group. 

 The undetermined sacrum from Elgin figured by Newton is undoubtedly 

 Pariasaurian and almost certainly belongs to Elginia. This specimen 



