﻿432 
  

  

  PKOCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SOCIETY. 
  [June 
  22, 
  

  

  where 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  limestone 
  is 
  beautifully 
  scored 
  by 
  glacial 
  

   scratchings, 
  and 
  is 
  strewn 
  with 
  sand 
  and 
  striated 
  pebbles, 
  sup- 
  

   porting 
  the 
  patch 
  of 
  Lias 
  which 
  occurs 
  here, 
  and 
  which 
  is 
  also 
  

   covered 
  with 
  sand 
  and 
  transported 
  blocks. 
  At 
  Linkswood, 
  the 
  

   locality 
  where 
  the 
  cutting 
  in 
  the 
  Elgin 
  and 
  Rothes 
  Railway 
  exposes 
  

   the 
  sandstone 
  supporting 
  the 
  limestone 
  (cornstone), 
  Dr. 
  Gordon 
  

   pointed 
  out 
  to 
  me 
  a 
  patch 
  of 
  Lias 
  occurring 
  under 
  precisely 
  iden- 
  

   tical 
  circumstances 
  with 
  that 
  at 
  Linksfield, 
  which 
  was 
  described 
  many 
  

   j^ears 
  ago 
  by 
  Captain 
  Brickenden 
  *. 
  The 
  late 
  Mr. 
  Patrick 
  Duff 
  also, 
  

   in 
  his 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  geology 
  of 
  Moray, 
  points 
  out 
  the 
  contorted 
  forms 
  

   which 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  this 
  patch 
  of 
  Lias 
  assume, 
  doubtless 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  

   pressure 
  from 
  ice-action, 
  while 
  the 
  underlying 
  limestone 
  (cornstone) 
  

   has 
  a 
  uniform 
  S.S.E. 
  dip 
  at 
  a 
  low 
  angle. 
  These 
  Lias 
  patches, 
  

   wherever 
  they 
  are 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  Elgin 
  district, 
  bear 
  no 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  

   limestone 
  (cornstone). 
  They 
  have 
  underneath 
  them 
  glacial 
  drift, 
  

   and 
  they 
  owe 
  their 
  present 
  position 
  to 
  Post-tertiary 
  operations. 
  

  

  § 
  3. 
  Section 
  on 
  the 
  Findhorn. 
  

  

  Westwards 
  from 
  the 
  area 
  just 
  described, 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  

   Findhorn, 
  good 
  exposures 
  of 
  rock 
  are 
  seen. 
  Portions 
  of 
  the 
  strata 
  

   on 
  this 
  river 
  are 
  described 
  in 
  detail 
  by 
  Sir 
  R. 
  I. 
  Murchi 
  son, 
  from 
  the 
  

   Metamorphic 
  rocks 
  to 
  the 
  higher 
  limestones 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  worked 
  

   at 
  Cothallt. 
  

  

  In 
  a 
  matter 
  where 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  certain 
  strata 
  occupying 
  a 
  position 
  

   superior 
  to 
  sandstones 
  yielding 
  Holoptychius 
  is 
  under 
  consideration, 
  

   it 
  is 
  only 
  necessary 
  to 
  indicate 
  a 
  well-marked 
  horizon, 
  and 
  to 
  trace 
  

   the 
  sequence 
  from 
  this 
  upwards. 
  

  

  s. 
  

  

  Fig. 
  2. 
  

  

  Raraplet. 
  b 
  Cothall. 
  

  

  -Section 
  on 
  the 
  River 
  Findhorn 
  (2 
  miles). 
  

  

  Bridge 
  of 
  Findhorn. 
  

  

  a. 
  Till. 
  

  

  b. 
  Limestone 
  (cornstone). 
  

  

  c. 
  Reptiliferous 
  sandstone 
  

  

  d. 
  Pebbly 
  sandstones 
  and 
  conglomerates. 
  

  

  e. 
  Yellow 
  sandstones. 
  

  

  South 
  of 
  Cothall, 
  for 
  about 
  a 
  quarter 
  of 
  a 
  mile, 
  a 
  continuous 
  

   section 
  is 
  exposed 
  either 
  on 
  one 
  or 
  the 
  other 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  

   Findhorn, 
  the 
  Ramplet 
  Cliff 
  affording 
  a 
  fine 
  exhibition 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  

   the 
  strata 
  which 
  underlie 
  the 
  Cothall 
  limestone. 
  The 
  dip 
  is 
  N.N.W. 
  

   at 
  10°, 
  being 
  identical 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  rocks 
  south 
  of 
  Elgin 
  ; 
  and 
  

   here 
  we 
  have 
  an 
  horizon 
  parallel 
  with 
  a 
  well-known 
  position 
  in 
  the 
  

   section 
  from 
  the 
  Metamorphic 
  rocks 
  northwards 
  to 
  Elgin 
  (see 
  fig. 
  1). 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  continuous 
  section 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Cothall 
  limestone, 
  the 
  

   lowest 
  beds 
  consist 
  of 
  yellow 
  sandstones, 
  yielding 
  the 
  same 
  form 
  of 
  

   Holoptychius 
  as 
  that 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  Pluscarden 
  and 
  Bishops 
  

  

  * 
  Quart. 
  Journ. 
  Geol. 
  Soc. 
  vol. 
  vii. 
  p. 
  289. 
  t 
  Ibid. 
  pp. 
  422, 
  423. 
  

  

  