520 PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [Feb. 24, 



A little beyond this, the Ugie flows into the sea, draining a low 

 basin of ground. I have found fine laminated clay composing the 

 ground along its banks in many places, for several miles up its course, 

 but frequently concealed by a deep covering of coarse gravel. At 

 Ednie this fine stratified clay rests upon a mass of coarse stony stuff, 

 which, however, is not clearly exposed. In sinking a well there was 



found, I am told — 



Feet. 



Fine stratified clay 13 



Coarse stony clay, dark-coloured, and apparently de- 

 void of stratification . 20 



I found some traces of broken shells in the stratified clay here also. 

 I am not aware that any large boulders occur in the lower mass. 

 In the part of it which I saw, the stones were not of large size. 

 This section, although little more than two miles distant from the 

 sea in a straight line, is yet much more following the course of the 

 Ugie. It is at no great height above the sea. 



The coast to the north of the Ugie for many miles presents a 

 broad sandy beach, backed by undulating banks of various height, 

 but seldom, if ever, exceeding 100 feet. The drifting sand which 

 blows off the coast hides everything, so that the interior of these 

 masses is rarely to be seen. In some places, however, their struc- 

 ture is indicated, and seems to be a fine tenacious clay of a bluish 

 tint. 



About five miles to the north of Peterhead is the Annochie Brick- 

 work, close upon the sea-beach. Here the excavations are made into 

 the heart of these sand-covered banks, and disclose a fine, blackish- 

 blue, sandy clay, quite unmixed with stones or pebbles of any kind. 

 This clay has been penetrated to a depth of 25 feet, and found to 

 pass into fine sand of a similar hue ; but it is not known what lies 

 beneath. 



Deeply imbedded, then, in this fine bluish clay-mud, I found per- 

 fect shells occurring, in some places rather abundantly. The species 

 were — 



Nucula tenuis. Leda pygmaea. Lucina ferruginosa. 



The last-mentioned is a very minute shell, and seems to be much less 

 numerous than the two others. All the three are very delicate thin- 

 shelled bivalves ; but their preservation is so perfect that the greenish- 

 yellow epidermis, or skin-like pellicle that covers them, is quite 

 uninjured. They are, however, so friable, that the slightest touch 

 converts them into powder ; and on exposure to the air for some 

 time, the epidermis loses its lustre, and sometimes shrivels up. 

 Sometimes both the valves are in conjunction and shut; but more 

 frequently, I think, they occur as single valves. It is also worthy 

 of notice, that no broken or comminuted shell-fragments were ob- 

 served occurring in this clay *. 



* At a subsequent visit to Annochie, in company with Mr. Winter, the ma- 

 nager of the work, who most kindly gave me all the assistance in his power, I 

 succeeded in finding nearly a dozen other fossils. Amongst these were several 



