1848.] MOORE ON FOSSILIFEROUS BEDS OF WIGTOWNSHIRE. 1 1 



Crossing from the peninsula to the mainland at the Cairn, a great 

 thickness of slates occurs, containing graptolites in abundance ; 

 and rather more than a mile to the north, red flaggy beds exactly- 

 like those at the Dally Bay contain the same fossil. I conceive these 

 two sets of beds to be the prolongation of those before mentioned at 

 Cairnbrock and Dally Bay ; my reasons being, that the beds are 

 nearly in the line of strike ; the distance between the two across the 

 line of strike is about the same, while their inclination in both cases 

 is at a high angle, and to the same point of the compass ; and the 

 two beds on the Irish Sea in mineral character are respectively similar 

 to the two on the east side of Loch Ryan. Moreover, on the west 

 shore of Loch Ryan, at a spot called Sloughnagarry, in a line between 

 the two most northern fossiliferous deposits, I have found the same 

 graptolites in exactly similar red flags ; and these are the only loca- 

 lities in the neighbourhood where, after much searching, I have 

 found fossils. If it be objected, that in this view the Cairn slates 

 ought to be found on the west shore of Loch Ryan, to the south of 

 Sloughnagarry, I answer, that the older rocks are covered on that side 

 of the bay for some miles by newer formations. 



From the Cairn to the entrance of Glen App, a distance of about 

 three miles, the rock has always a south dip. I am unable to state 

 what the dip is from thence for about three miles across the strike ; 

 till on reaching the valley of the Stincher, we find a limestone which 

 I have traced along that river in five distinct localities : in all of these 

 it is highly inclined with a dip to the south. Its most western ap- 

 pearance is at a quarry near the mountain of Knock dolian, distant 

 about three miles from Ballantrae. It bears about N.E. by E. and 

 is much interfered with by serpentine, of which, judging from a hasty 

 examination, the hill of Knockdolian seems to consist. The lime- 

 stone shows itself again by the road-side with the same strike about 

 half a mile further up the river, where it is not worked ; again at 

 Craigneel near the village of Colmonell, bearing N.E. by N., where 

 it has been extensively worked ; next at a place on the road-side, 

 about one mile and a half above Colmonell ; and lastly near Dal- 

 jerrick. Although four of these localities occur on the north and 

 one (Craigneel) on the south side of the river, whose course runs 

 parallel to the bearing of the beds, yet I suspect that this arises from 

 dislocation, and not from there being more than one bed. Craig- 

 neel, which is the greatest deviation from the line of bearing, contains 

 the same fossils as Knockdolian ; in short traverses which I made, I 

 was unable to find a second bed ; and the farmers have no knowledge 

 of any other locality than those mentioned ; testimony not to be neg- 

 lected in a country which derives almost all its lime for agricultural 

 purposes from Ireland. The limestone is only worked at Knockdo- 

 lian and Craigneel, and at this last place the works seem suspended 

 for fear of undermming the old castle of Craigneel, which singularly 

 enough has been built upon the only bed of limestone in all Galloway. 

 The bed is about thirty feet thick, dipping south at a high angle, 

 which dip I ascertained to continue for some hundred yards to the 



