DISTRIBUTION OF BOULDERS. 115 



on the land and form sandy soils or links. Alluvium pro- 

 duced by chemical agents is, in the Lothians, comparatively 

 rare, and that which does occur is, in every instance, a de- 

 position from water charged with calcareous matter. 



On the shore of East Lothian, near Thornton Loch, 

 there is a considerable mass of calcareous tufa and sinter, 

 incrusting the white sandstone. Near TantalJon Castle 

 there is another example of a similar deposition, coat- 

 ing the rocks of trap tufa ; and, in several places through- 

 out the Lothians, the sands and gravels which occur on the 

 banks of the rivers and sea-beaches are more or less conso- 

 lidated by calcareous and ferruginous matter. The animal 

 and vegetable remains which are found in the alluvium be- 

 long all to existing species ; bones and antlers of the stag 

 are frequently found, and several years ago an almost per- 

 fect skeleton was discovered on Sir A. Hepburn's estate of 

 Smeaton, in Haddingtonshire. In regard to the vegetables 

 imbedded in alluvium, we may state that trunks of trees, 

 many of which are of great size, are to be found in every 

 peat moss of any extent. 



Of the deposits of the second class — the diluvium — there 

 exists in the Lothians several examples, but the study of 

 these does not allow us to draw many inferences in regard 

 to the circumstances which effected their distribution. In 

 this district little extent of country can be passed without 

 numerous rolled masses of rocks occurring, which are not 

 found in situ, but in distant localities ; or, if the fixed rocks 

 from which these are derived are met with in the neighbour- 

 hood, there appear at least to be no causes in action capable 

 of reproducing such a distribution. On the coasts of Lin- 

 lithgowshire and Mid-LotLian, in the valleys of the Pent- 

 lands and on their acclivities, on the flanks of the Lam- 

 mermuir and Moorfoot range, we may easily detect rolled 



