﻿1864.] 
  HARKNESS 
  NORTH-EAST 
  OF 
  SCOTLAND. 
  435 
  

  

  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  the 
  limestones, 
  the 
  rocks 
  are 
  almost 
  untouched. 
  

   The 
  highest 
  bed 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  north 
  of 
  Elgin, 
  like 
  those 
  south 
  of 
  this 
  

   place, 
  and 
  also 
  those 
  of 
  Cothall, 
  have 
  no 
  solid 
  rock 
  above 
  them. 
  

  

  From 
  Spynie 
  Loch, 
  in 
  a 
  W.S.W. 
  direction, 
  no 
  exposures 
  of 
  rock 
  

   occur, 
  the 
  district 
  being 
  flat 
  ; 
  but 
  through 
  it 
  runs 
  a 
  fault, 
  separating 
  

   the 
  sandstones 
  and 
  limestones 
  (cornstones) 
  of 
  Spynie 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  

   Lossiemouth, 
  and 
  parallel 
  to 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Quarry 
  

   Wood 
  range 
  above 
  referred 
  to. 
  

  

  As 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  Lossiemouth, 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  

   of 
  the 
  ridge, 
  the 
  strata 
  (the 
  lowest 
  here 
  exposed) 
  consist 
  of 
  thin- 
  

   bedded 
  sandstones 
  with 
  interstratified 
  red 
  shales. 
  To 
  these 
  succeed 
  

   deposits 
  having 
  a 
  great 
  affinity 
  to 
  those 
  which 
  at 
  Spynie 
  quarry 
  

   underlie 
  the 
  reptiliferous 
  sandstones, 
  and 
  immediately 
  upon 
  these 
  

   distinctly 
  bedded 
  sandstones 
  is 
  the 
  zone 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  Stagonolepis 
  

   Robertsoni 
  occurs, 
  and 
  upon 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  usually 
  a 
  thin 
  layer 
  of 
  

   greenish-white 
  clay 
  separating 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  superior 
  white 
  cherty 
  

   sandstones. 
  Immediately 
  above 
  this 
  clay 
  is 
  found 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  an 
  

   arenaceous 
  nature, 
  which 
  is 
  peculiar 
  both 
  in 
  its 
  aspect 
  and 
  compo- 
  

   sition. 
  The 
  stratification 
  in 
  this 
  arenaceous 
  mass 
  is 
  very 
  imperfectly 
  

   developed, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  almost 
  devoid 
  of 
  all 
  traces 
  of 
  lamination. 
  In 
  

   its 
  mineral 
  nature 
  it 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  uniform 
  series 
  of 
  cherty 
  sand- 
  

   stones, 
  intersected 
  by 
  well-developed 
  "W.N.W. 
  joints, 
  which 
  give 
  to 
  

   it, 
  when 
  seen 
  from 
  a 
  distance, 
  somewhat 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  columnar 
  

   trap 
  ; 
  it 
  forms 
  the 
  valuable 
  building-stone 
  of 
  the 
  district, 
  and, 
  like 
  

   all 
  compact 
  sandstones 
  devoid 
  of 
  lamination, 
  in 
  Scotland 
  is 
  known 
  

   to 
  the 
  workmen 
  as 
  " 
  liver-rock." 
  In 
  it 
  concretions 
  of 
  ironstone 
  

   occur 
  ; 
  and 
  although 
  the 
  rocks 
  here 
  attain 
  about 
  a 
  hundred 
  feet 
  in 
  

   thickness, 
  fossils 
  are 
  extremely 
  rare 
  in 
  them, 
  being 
  confined 
  almost 
  

   exclusively 
  to 
  the 
  Stagonolepis-zone, 
  beneath 
  which 
  the 
  sandstones 
  

   are 
  not 
  worked, 
  the 
  lower 
  rocks 
  being 
  valueless. 
  

  

  Besides 
  Stagonolepis 
  Robertsoni, 
  which 
  is 
  far 
  from 
  uncommon 
  in 
  

   the 
  zone 
  below 
  the 
  cherty 
  sandstones, 
  Hyperodapedon 
  Gordoni, 
  Hux- 
  

   ley, 
  and 
  footprints 
  resembling 
  those 
  from 
  Cummingstone 
  have 
  also 
  

   been 
  found. 
  Above 
  the 
  cherty 
  sandstones 
  the 
  " 
  hard, 
  thick-bedded 
  

   cherty 
  and 
  cavernous 
  cornstones" 
  (limestones) 
  alluded 
  to 
  by 
  Sir 
  

   R. 
  I. 
  Murchison 
  (op. 
  cit. 
  p. 
  428) 
  occur. 
  At 
  Lossiemouth 
  the 
  same 
  dip 
  

   (N.N.W.), 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  angle 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  country 
  to 
  the 
  south, 
  is 
  seen 
  ; 
  

   here 
  too 
  the 
  limestones 
  (cornstones) 
  have 
  no 
  solid 
  rock 
  above 
  them. 
  

  

  § 
  5. 
  Section 
  on 
  the 
  Strike 
  from 
  Burghead 
  to 
  Lossiemouth. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  shore 
  west 
  of 
  Lossiemouth, 
  at 
  Stoatneld, 
  the 
  limestones 
  

   (cornstones) 
  are 
  seen 
  abutting 
  against 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  red 
  sandstone. 
  This 
  

   arrangement 
  is 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  another 
  fault 
  which 
  has 
  a 
  course 
  nearly 
  

   north 
  and 
  south. 
  Close 
  to 
  this 
  fault, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  it, 
  the 
  

   red 
  sandstones 
  are 
  greatly 
  disturbed 
  ; 
  but 
  they 
  soon 
  assume 
  their 
  

   normal 
  dip, 
  and 
  are 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  common 
  between 
  Stoatfield 
  and 
  

   the 
  Greens 
  of 
  Dranie 
  in 
  this 
  position. 
  Still 
  further 
  westwards, 
  

   from 
  near 
  the 
  Lighthouse 
  at 
  Coosea 
  almost 
  to 
  Burghead, 
  the 
  Lossie- 
  

   mouth 
  sandstones 
  occur, 
  and 
  are 
  extensively 
  worked 
  at 
  Hopetown. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  coast 
  they 
  form 
  an 
  anticlinal 
  dipping 
  towards 
  the 
  land 
  in 
  

  

  