﻿peof. 
  c. 
  LAPwoirrn 
  ox 
  the 
  girvan 
  succession. 
  563 
  

  

  lowest 
  beds 
  a 
  few 
  fragments 
  of 
  limestone 
  are 
  visible, 
  of 
  the 
  general 
  

   size 
  of 
  marbles. 
  The 
  appearances 
  seen 
  are 
  difficult 
  to 
  explain 
  upon 
  

   the 
  hypothesis 
  of 
  a 
  fault, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  patches 
  of 
  

   limestone 
  in 
  the 
  conglomerate 
  ; 
  but 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  actually 
  due 
  to 
  an 
  

   unconformability 
  we 
  have 
  to 
  suppose 
  that 
  within 
  the 
  insignificant 
  

   distance 
  of 
  about 
  200 
  yards 
  the 
  entire 
  thickness 
  of 
  the 
  Didymograptus- 
  

   shales 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  eroded 
  previous 
  to 
  the 
  deposition 
  of 
  the 
  basal 
  

   beds 
  of 
  the 
  Benan 
  Conglomerate, 
  and 
  in 
  addition 
  some 
  slight 
  thick- 
  

   ness 
  of 
  the 
  Compact 
  Limestone 
  itself. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  from 
  the 
  map 
  

   that 
  an 
  important 
  fault 
  traverses 
  the 
  strata 
  at 
  this 
  locality, 
  and 
  

   to 
  its 
  effects, 
  combined 
  with 
  certain 
  peculiarities 
  of 
  the 
  basal 
  beds 
  

   of 
  the 
  conglomerate, 
  which 
  will 
  be 
  described 
  in 
  the 
  sequel, 
  the 
  

   visible 
  phenomena 
  are 
  most 
  unquestionably 
  due. 
  

  

  From 
  this 
  point 
  the 
  calcareous 
  series 
  is 
  prolonged 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  

   line 
  to 
  the 
  south-west, 
  descending 
  the 
  slopes 
  diagonally 
  towards 
  the 
  

   farmstead 
  of 
  Minuntion 
  and 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Stinchar. 
  The 
  nodular 
  

   and 
  Compact 
  Limestones 
  (Ab 
  2+3 
  ) 
  are 
  exposed 
  in 
  two 
  fine 
  artificial 
  

   sections 
  immediately 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  ruin 
  of 
  Auchlewan, 
  dipping 
  

   steadily 
  into 
  the 
  hill-face 
  below 
  the 
  masses 
  of 
  Benan 
  Conglomerate, 
  

   which 
  crop 
  out 
  continuously 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  overhanging 
  

   slopes 
  above. 
  The 
  usual 
  fossils 
  of 
  the 
  limestones 
  may 
  be 
  collected 
  

   with 
  difficulty 
  in 
  the 
  quarries 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  weathered 
  masses 
  of 
  lime- 
  

   stone 
  in 
  the 
  neighbouring 
  stone-dykes. 
  Unfortunately 
  the 
  actual 
  line 
  

   of 
  junction 
  of 
  the 
  Calcareous 
  and 
  Conglomerate 
  series 
  is 
  obscured, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  collect 
  any 
  available 
  evidence 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  

   the 
  apparent 
  unconformability 
  or 
  fault-line 
  of 
  Auchlewan 
  to 
  the 
  

   east. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  steep 
  ridges 
  some 
  distance 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  farm 
  of 
  Minuntion 
  

   the 
  limestone 
  is 
  seen 
  in 
  a 
  shattered 
  condition, 
  suggestive 
  of 
  faulting 
  

   along 
  the 
  junction-line. 
  Immediately 
  in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  the 
  

   farmstead 
  the 
  Purple 
  Sandstones 
  (Aa 
  2 
  ) 
  are 
  visible 
  in 
  their 
  natural 
  

   position 
  with 
  respect 
  to 
  the 
  limestone, 
  preserving 
  their 
  steady 
  dip 
  

   of 
  45° 
  into 
  the 
  hill- 
  slope. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  hill-quarry 
  last 
  mentioned 
  the 
  limestone 
  may 
  be 
  

   followed 
  in 
  occasional 
  exposures 
  in 
  a 
  slanting 
  direction 
  down 
  the 
  

   slopes 
  into 
  the 
  cliffs 
  overhanging 
  the 
  stream 
  of 
  the 
  Stinchar. 
  Here 
  

   we 
  meet 
  with 
  a 
  magnificent 
  section 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  quarry, 
  which 
  until 
  

   very 
  recently 
  was 
  worked 
  for 
  the 
  extraction 
  of 
  lime 
  for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  

   the 
  farmers 
  of 
  the 
  district. 
  

  

  7. 
  Minuntion. 
  — 
  In 
  this 
  quarry 
  the 
  highest 
  zones 
  of 
  the 
  Compact 
  

   Limestone 
  group 
  (Ab 
  3 
  ) 
  are 
  not 
  exposed. 
  The 
  only 
  strata 
  quarried 
  

   are 
  the 
  lower 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  Maclurea-hcds 
  and 
  the 
  underlying 
  

   O.-confinis 
  flags 
  (Ab 
  1 
  ). 
  The 
  latter 
  are 
  well 
  shown 
  in 
  the 
  floor 
  and 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  quarry 
  ; 
  they 
  weather 
  to 
  their 
  usual 
  russet-brown 
  colour, 
  

   and 
  are 
  pitted 
  with 
  the 
  usual 
  hollows 
  filled 
  with 
  rottenstone. 
  The 
  

   3£aclurea-beds 
  contain 
  the 
  usual 
  characteristic 
  fossils 
  in 
  abundance 
  ; 
  

   the 
  Orthis-confinis 
  beds 
  swarm 
  with 
  well-preserved 
  Brachiopoda, 
  &c. 
  

  

  The 
  commonest 
  forms 
  include 
  Orthis 
  conjinis, 
  0. 
  biforata, 
  Belle- 
  

   rophon, 
  Strophomena 
  expansa, 
  Triplegia 
  Grayi, 
  lllamus 
  latus, 
  &c. 
  

  

  This 
  quarry 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  the 
  typical 
  exposure 
  of 
  the 
  O.-con- 
  

  

  