and Greensand Fossils in Aberdeenshire. 433 



Turriff and Delgaty Castle. The flints at Boyndie Bay are 

 found strewed along the shore, and contain traces of zoophytic 

 organic remains. Those at Delgaty are likewise characterized 

 by similar remains. The station at the latter place is ten 

 miles from the sea, and is the highest ground in the neigh- 

 bourhood. The flints are found in the diluvium cresting the 

 hills. 



In my collection of fossils from Bogingarry and adjoining 

 localities, there are impressions of portions of spines, and also 

 casts of at least three varieties of the Echinus. There are 

 also casts of Belemnites, Inoceramus, Terebratula, Pecten, 

 Plagiostoma, Turbinolia, Flustra, &c, together with other 

 remains not easily made out. From the remains in the flint, 

 existing for the most part as casts and impressions, it is diffi- 

 cult, indeed it is almost impossible, to make out many of them 

 with sufficient certainty to name them. I have, however, met 

 with instances in which the shell is actually preserved. 



The greensand is found at Moreseat in the parish of Cruden, 

 This locality is on the ridge of high ground already mentioned 

 as running south-west from Buchanness. In the immediate 

 neighbourhood, the evidence of extensive denudation is very 

 marked. Attention was called to the deposit in question here 

 quite recently. The proprietor of the farm, Mr. Johnstone, 

 had built a new mill; and in making an excavation for the 

 water-wheel, several large and curious shells imbedded in a 

 fine-grained compact sandstone were turned up. The sand- 

 stone itself, previously unknown in this locality, would have 

 been enough to attract notice — far more the shells. One of 

 these was the fragment of a cast of an Ammonite. The por- 

 tion preserved was at least four inches in diameter. The de- 

 posit was about nine feet below the surface of the ground, and 

 yielded water freely. The wheel is now built in, and the 

 locality in consequence cannot be examined. Several hundred 

 cartloads of material were taken from this excavation, and 

 used to fill up inequalities in the surrounding fields. It is to 

 be regretted that this was not examined previous to being 

 deposited, as it is now beyond reach. About 400 yards to 

 the north-east of this point the shells were again met with, in 

 opening a ditch round a field newly reclaimed from moss. I 

 had this year (1850) an opportunity of examining it here. It 

 is from one to three feet below the surface, and is traceable in 

 the ditch one or two hundred yards. An excavation of about 

 seven feet in depth was made, and the section presented irre- 

 gular layers of unctuous clay of a dark brown colour and soapy 

 feel ; and so tough and adhesive, as to render it a work of 

 considerable labour to dig it out. Interstratified with this clay 

 were thin layers of a compact sandstone. The layers of 



Phil. Mag. S. 3. Vol. 37. No. 252. Dec. 1850. 2 F 



