1873.] JUDD THE SECONDARY ROCKS OE SCOTLAND. 135 



the Mesozoic strata in the north-east of Scotland having been already 

 given by the late Sir Roderick Murchison, and the important ques- 

 tion of the relation of these strata to the Primary rocks fully dis- 

 cussed in the foregoing pages, we may now proceed to a detailed 

 account of the characters presented by each of the Secondary forma- 

 tions as developed in this district. These we shall treat of in 

 chronological order. With regard to the sequence, mineralogical cha- 

 racters, and fossils of the subdivisions of the Mesozoic strata we have 

 three kinds of evidence, which are of very different degrees of value. 



1st. The connected series of sections, sufficiently clear though 

 often of limited extent, of the beds seen in situ in Sutherland (see 

 Table I.). 



2nd. The sections in the more isolated patches, also in situ, at 

 other points around the shores of the Moray Firth. 



3rd. The large transported blocks aud numerous scattered frag- 

 ments of the various Secondary rocks included in the Boulder- clay 

 of this part of Scotland (see Table II.). _ 



§ 1. The Trias. 



On the southern side of the Moray Firth, between the headlands 

 of Burghead and Stotfield, a tract of land projects considerably to 

 the northward of the general line of the coast ; at a period geolo- 

 gically very recent, part of this district constituted an island in the 

 Firth, and till late historical times it remained almost separated 

 from the mainland of Scotland by the Loch of Spynie. Within this 

 promontory and in the country bounding it on the south there is 

 developed a formation which, on account of the apparent discrepancy 

 between the stratigraphical and palseontological evidence as to its 

 age, has attracted much attention and occasioned keen debate among 

 geologists. Under these circumstances, it may be advantageous to 

 distinguish carefully between the conclusions (concerning the rela- 

 tion of these beds) which are the result of direct observation, and 

 therefore not open to question, and such as have been arrived at 

 from inferences of a general character and are still the subjects of 

 controversy. 



The formation in question consists of two members, the upper 

 calcareous, the lower arenaceous. 



A. " The Gherty Rock of Stotfield.'" — Great differences of opinion 

 have existed among geologists as to the correct designation for this 

 rock. Sir Roderick Murchison calls it a " cornstone," but at the 

 same time points out that it presents characters which distinguish 

 it from the rocks usually included under that name*. Professor 

 Harkness discards the use of the term " cornstone " and calls it 

 simply a limestone f ; while the Rev. W. S. Symonds strongly in- 

 sists that " cornstone," as applied to this rock J, is altogether a 

 misnomer, and Mr. C. Moore compares the rock to one which occurs 



* Quart. Joum. Geol. Soc. vol. xv. (1859) p. 431. 



t Ibid. vol. xx. (1864) p. 431 &c. 



\ Edinburgh Phil. Joiirn. New Ser. vol. xii. (1860) p. 96. 



