﻿538 
  PEOF. 
  C. 
  LAPWOETH 
  ON 
  THE 
  GIEVAN 
  SUCCESSION. 
  

  

  I. 
  Inteodttction. 
  

  

  1. 
  Lower 
  Palceozoic 
  Strata 
  of 
  Girvan 
  and 
  the 
  Southern 
  Uplands 
  

   of 
  Scotland. 
  

  

  That 
  portion 
  of 
  Scotland 
  which 
  lies 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  meta- 
  

   morphic 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  Highlands 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  two 
  very 
  distinct 
  

   physiographical 
  regions 
  — 
  the 
  plateau 
  of 
  the 
  Southern 
  Uplands, 
  and 
  

   the 
  low-lying 
  district 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  valley 
  of 
  Lanark 
  and 
  Mid- 
  

   lothian. 
  In 
  all 
  their 
  grander 
  features, 
  physical, 
  geological, 
  and 
  

   economical, 
  these 
  two 
  regions 
  are 
  strikingly 
  contrasted. 
  The 
  

   Upland 
  region 
  is 
  an 
  elevated 
  tableland, 
  with 
  a 
  smooth, 
  flowing 
  

   contour 
  of 
  alternate 
  hill 
  and 
  dale 
  ; 
  its 
  grass-clad 
  surface, 
  almost 
  

   destitute 
  of 
  arboreal 
  vegetation, 
  is 
  devoted 
  to 
  pasturage, 
  and 
  sup- 
  

   ports 
  but 
  a 
  scanty 
  and 
  sparsely 
  scattered 
  population. 
  The 
  surface 
  of 
  

   the 
  Lowland 
  region, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  is 
  picturesquely 
  diversified 
  

   by 
  steep 
  hill-ranges, 
  which 
  are 
  adorned 
  with 
  plantations 
  of 
  oak 
  

   and 
  fir, 
  and 
  enclose 
  wide 
  and 
  fertile 
  plains, 
  highly 
  cultivated, 
  ;ind 
  

   inhabited 
  by 
  a 
  numerous 
  and 
  wealthy 
  population. 
  Again, 
  the 
  

   Upland 
  region 
  is 
  a 
  land 
  of 
  Lower 
  Palaeozoic 
  rocks, 
  composed 
  of 
  an 
  

   endless 
  repetition 
  of 
  dingy 
  greywackes 
  and 
  shales, 
  which 
  repeat 
  the 
  

   monotony 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  in 
  the 
  sameness 
  of 
  their 
  petrographical 
  

   characters. 
  The 
  valley-region 
  is, 
  by 
  contrast, 
  a 
  land 
  of 
  Upper 
  

   Palaeozoic 
  strata, 
  of 
  sandstones, 
  limestones, 
  coal, 
  and 
  volcanic 
  rocks, 
  

   as 
  diversified 
  in 
  their 
  mineralogical 
  features 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  picturesque 
  

   scenery 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  given 
  origin. 
  Finally, 
  the 
  Lower 
  

   Palaeozoic 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  Uplands 
  may 
  be 
  traversed 
  for 
  miles 
  without 
  

   affording 
  a 
  trace 
  of 
  a 
  fossil 
  or 
  an 
  interesting 
  mineralogical 
  specimen 
  ; 
  

   and 
  only 
  in 
  one 
  very 
  limited 
  locality 
  are 
  their 
  minerals 
  of 
  the 
  

   slightest 
  economic 
  value. 
  The 
  Upper 
  Palaeozoic 
  strata 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  

   valley, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  are, 
  alike 
  in 
  their 
  fossils 
  and 
  minerals, 
  

   among 
  the 
  most 
  productive 
  in 
  the 
  island. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  eastern 
  sea-board 
  near 
  Dunbar, 
  across 
  the 
  entire 
  breadth 
  

   of 
  Scotland 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  almost 
  within 
  sight 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Channel, 
  it 
  

   may 
  almost 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  this 
  violent 
  contrast 
  in 
  the 
  structure 
  and 
  

   natural 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  regions 
  is 
  maintained 
  unbroken. 
  

   The 
  huge 
  grass-grown 
  slope, 
  with 
  its 
  softly 
  undulating 
  sky-line, 
  

   which 
  marks 
  the 
  northern 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  Upland, 
  rises 
  upwards 
  like 
  

   the 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  vast 
  terrace, 
  and 
  looks 
  out 
  far 
  and 
  wide 
  over 
  the 
  

   Lowland 
  region 
  to 
  the 
  northward, 
  with 
  its 
  varied 
  surface 
  of 
  hill 
  

   and 
  dale. 
  

  

  But 
  at 
  the 
  south-western 
  extremity 
  of 
  this 
  marked 
  boundary-line 
  

   lies 
  a 
  district 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  assign 
  satisfactorily 
  either 
  to 
  

   the 
  Upland 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  Lowland 
  region. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  beautiful 
  

   district 
  of 
  Carrick 
  — 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  Craigs 
  — 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  south- 
  

   western 
  division 
  of 
  Ayrshire, 
  and 
  is 
  drained 
  by 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  

   Girvan 
  and 
  Stinchar. 
  In 
  its 
  physiographical 
  aspect 
  this 
  district 
  

   partakes 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  both 
  the 
  Upland 
  and 
  the 
  Lowland 
  

   regions. 
  Its 
  higher 
  grounds 
  repeat 
  the 
  flowing, 
  mound-like, 
  grass- 
  

   grown 
  forms 
  of 
  the 
  Upland 
  hills, 
  with 
  the 
  straggling 
  village, 
  the 
  

  

  