150 DR. H. HICKS ON THE METAMOEPHIC AND 



mountain in the area, Glas Bheinn, to see whether the interpretation 

 furnished by the lower ground was equally applicable to the highest 

 points. To the north of this area we have the mountains of Torridon 

 Sandstone, capped with quartzite, already referred to, and to the 

 west the great mountains of Torridon Sandstone in the Applecross 

 district. It seems to be bounded more or less by faults in all direc- 

 tions, and some of these must be faults of considerable magnitude. 

 "With the exception of the broken patch of the Limestone series on 

 the shore and to the north of Loch Kishorn, I have indicated the 

 whole as belonging to the Ben-Fyn series (or stage of crystalliza- 

 tion) ; but this is to some extent only a provisional arrangement, as 

 it is quite possible that a large proportion of the rocks in this area 

 may prove to belong to a distinct group not represented in the Ben- 

 Fyn district. That they are for the most part equally altered with 

 that group there cannot, however, be any doubt ; hence instead of 

 classifying them under a new name, I have thought it best at 

 present to associate them together. Sir It. Mnrchison has described 

 the rocks in this area as being of Silurian age, the limestone of 

 Loch Kishorn being at the base, with an ascending succession 

 towards Loch Carron. In his joint paper with Prof. Geikie * it is 

 stated that the Kishorn limestone may possibly " be the same as 

 that of Loch Carron, Loch Coulan, and Glen Cruchalie — that is, the 

 limestone zone between the lower quartz-rock and the upper 

 quartzose flaggy series ; or, like the lower limestone of Ben Eay, it 

 may be a local deposit occurring in the lower quartz-rock." It is also 

 stated by them to be "underlain by white quartz rock, which, coalescing 

 with that above the limestone, forms one series, below which lie the 

 Cambrian sandstones swelling up into the great mountains of 

 Applecross." Prof. Nicol says f that the " limestone rests on the 

 quartzite, which in one place dips at 15°, to S. 40° E. The limestone 

 is, as usual, more broken and irregular, but near the bridge to Apple- 

 cross it dips at 64°, to E. 8° N. The talc-slates on the east have a 

 dip of 20°, to E. 30° 1ST. : and, on the whole, lower angles than those 

 given in my former paper seem to prevail in these beds. Granulite 

 and hornblende-rocks, however, abound near the line of junction ; 

 and I was still unsuccessful in finding any point where the talc- or 

 mica-slates overlap the limestone or quartzite. I have now no doubt, 

 from the facts seen at the junction in other places, that the limestone 

 and talc-slate are divided by a line of fault. The occurrence of the 

 limestone in this position, though quite analogous to what is seen in 

 Assynt, is very important. It lies in a low valley at the foot of the 

 red sandstone hills of Applecross, more than 2000 ft. high, and, as its 

 regular position is above the quartzite, it must have been thrown 

 down fully 3000 ft." After carefully examining the section at this 

 point, I felt satisfied that the description given by Prof. Mcol was 

 the correct one, that the Quartz-rock and Limestone series have 

 been thrust in among the old rocks, by faults, and that the evidence 

 is altogether opposed to the view that they underlie in conformable 

 order the highly metamorphic series to the east. I examined the latter 

 * Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. vol. xvii. p. 197. t Ibid. p. 107. 



