﻿430 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SOCIETY. 
  [JllllC 
  2'J, 
  

  

  beds 
  which 
  yield 
  Reptilian 
  remains 
  in 
  the 
  North-east 
  of 
  Scot- 
  

   land, 
  and 
  to 
  regard 
  them 
  as 
  appertaining 
  to 
  the 
  Trias. 
  This 
  great 
  

   difference 
  of 
  opinion, 
  involving, 
  to 
  some 
  extent, 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  certain 
  

   conclusions 
  concerning 
  the 
  general 
  distribution 
  of 
  life 
  in 
  time, 
  and 
  

   of 
  ideas 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  inculcated 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  progress 
  in 
  

   creation, 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  which 
  the 
  recent 
  discovery 
  of 
  Reptilian 
  foot- 
  

   prints 
  in 
  the 
  Tarbetness 
  promontory, 
  Ross-shire, 
  by 
  the 
  Rev. 
  Dr. 
  

   Campbell 
  and 
  the 
  Rev. 
  J. 
  M. 
  Joass, 
  has 
  again 
  revived, 
  and 
  a 
  careful 
  

   examination 
  of 
  the 
  Elgin 
  area 
  is 
  naturally 
  called 
  for. 
  

  

  Having 
  on 
  three 
  previous 
  occasions 
  visited 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   North-east 
  of 
  Scotland, 
  and 
  knowing 
  many 
  of 
  the 
  localities 
  where 
  

   exposures 
  of 
  rock 
  occur, 
  and 
  having 
  also, 
  on 
  lithological 
  grounds, 
  

   formed 
  a 
  somewhat 
  different 
  opinion 
  concerning 
  the 
  arrangement 
  

   of 
  the 
  strata 
  here, 
  but 
  in 
  matters 
  of 
  detail 
  only, 
  from 
  that 
  held 
  by 
  

   other 
  geologists, 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  again 
  induced 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  several 
  

   areas 
  of 
  the 
  reptiliferous 
  rocks 
  of 
  Elgin, 
  and 
  the 
  strata 
  lying 
  to 
  the 
  

   south 
  of 
  that 
  district 
  ; 
  also 
  the 
  footprint-bearing 
  strata 
  of 
  Tarbet- 
  

   ness, 
  and 
  the 
  sedimentary 
  rocks 
  upon 
  which 
  they 
  conformably 
  

   repose. 
  

  

  § 
  2. 
  Section 
  south 
  of 
  Elgin. 
  

  

  To 
  commence 
  with 
  the 
  district 
  south 
  of 
  Elgin, 
  extending 
  from 
  

   the 
  metamorphic 
  rocks 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  to 
  the 
  Quarry 
  Wood 
  Hill 
  

   range 
  immediately 
  north 
  of 
  Elgin 
  on 
  the 
  north, 
  a 
  section 
  of 
  

   which 
  is 
  given 
  by 
  Sir 
  Roderick 
  I. 
  Murchison*. 
  Reposing 
  on 
  the 
  

   gneissic 
  rocks 
  are 
  conglomerates, 
  having 
  their 
  base 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  sub- 
  

   angular 
  fragments 
  of 
  metamorphic 
  rocks, 
  and 
  passing 
  upwards 
  into 
  

   purplish 
  sandstones, 
  yielding 
  fossils 
  which 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  Scat 
  

   Crag 
  organisms, 
  and 
  which 
  consist 
  principally 
  of 
  scales 
  of 
  Holopty- 
  

   chius 
  and 
  the 
  so-called 
  BotliAolepis. 
  Grey 
  pebbly 
  beds 
  immediately 
  

   succeed 
  these 
  strata, 
  and 
  contain 
  the 
  same 
  fossils 
  (see 
  fig. 
  1.). 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  Shoggle 
  Burn, 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  conglome- 
  

   rates, 
  purple 
  sandstones, 
  and 
  pebble-beds, 
  no 
  other 
  rocks 
  are 
  seen, 
  the 
  

   country 
  being 
  covered 
  by 
  a 
  thick 
  mass 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  gravel. 
  If, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  we 
  follow 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  strike 
  of 
  the 
  exposed 
  strata 
  of 
  Shoggle 
  Burn 
  

   westward, 
  at 
  the 
  south-east 
  base 
  of 
  Pluscarden 
  Hill 
  occur 
  the 
  rocks 
  

   which 
  overlie 
  the 
  grey 
  pebble-beds 
  of 
  Shoggle 
  Burn, 
  and 
  which 
  are 
  

   there 
  masked 
  by 
  debris. 
  On 
  the 
  south-east 
  side 
  of 
  Pluscarden, 
  a 
  

   little 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Priory, 
  we 
  see 
  sandstones, 
  cherty 
  in 
  their 
  nature, 
  

   with 
  pebble-beds 
  which 
  are 
  the 
  equivalents 
  of 
  the 
  higher 
  strata 
  of 
  the 
  

   Shoggle 
  section. 
  To 
  these 
  succeed 
  light- 
  coloured 
  sandstones, 
  iden- 
  

   tical 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  Bishops 
  Mill 
  quarries, 
  north 
  of 
  Elgin. 
  The 
  same 
  

   form 
  of 
  Holoptychius 
  occurs 
  also 
  at 
  both 
  localities. 
  About 
  a 
  mile 
  

   and 
  a 
  half 
  north-east, 
  at 
  Milltown 
  Brae, 
  a 
  conglomerate 
  occurs 
  ; 
  and 
  

   beyond 
  this 
  northwards, 
  until 
  Alves 
  is 
  reached, 
  gravels 
  and 
  sand 
  

   again 
  cover 
  the 
  rocky 
  strata. 
  Three 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Milltown 
  Brae, 
  

   and 
  about 
  a 
  mile 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  south-west 
  of 
  Elgin, 
  in 
  a 
  wood, 
  a 
  white 
  

   cherty 
  sandstone, 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  Lossiemouth, 
  is 
  seen 
  dipping 
  

   N.N.W. 
  at 
  10°, 
  being 
  the 
  direction 
  and 
  angle 
  of 
  dip 
  of 
  the 
  reptili- 
  

  

  * 
  Quart. 
  Journ. 
  Geol. 
  Soc. 
  vol. 
  xv. 
  p. 
  424. 
  

  

  