1873.] JTTDD THE SECONDARY ROCKS OP SCOTLAND. 175 



durated into an imperfect rock; they contain numerous carbona- 

 ceous markings ; but shells are by no means abundant in them. I 

 collected, however, the following species : — 



Belemnites (fragments). 

 Ammonites Lamberti, Sow. 

 Ostrea gregaria, Sow. 

 Pecten lens, Sow. 



Pecten vagans ?, Sow, 



fibrosus, Sow. 



vimineus, Sow. 



Cucullsea, sp. 



Clays, on this horizon, were at one time dug at several places 

 about Braamberry Hill ; but there are no exposures of them at the 

 present time. A small wood here, however, bears the name of Clay- 

 pit Plantation. 



It appears probable from the descriptions of Parey, that another 

 bed of limestone, weathering into " rottenstone " and similar to 

 that below the clay-beds, was found above them ; but I have no- 

 where succeeded in finding an exposure of it, so as to collect its 

 fossils. 



Above the second limestone bed we have a series of the ordinary 

 white sandstones, with carbonaceous seams and markings. These 

 seem to be similar in every respect to those so common in the dis- 

 trict ; they appear to exceed 60 feet in thickness, and to be wholly 

 destitute of fossils, and they perhaps constitute a break in the series 

 of marine deposits we are now describing. They are seen on both 

 sides of the estuary of the Brora and in reefs at Ardassie Point. 



At the last-mentioned locality the sandstone-beds are seen to be 

 covered by an interesting series of argillaceous limestones of a light- 

 blue colour, which alternate with dark-coloured clays and sandy 

 limestones, yielding many fossils. Some of the beds are crowded 

 with the large expanded form of Qryphcea dilatata, Sow. ; and Ostrea 

 gregaria, Sow., is also abundant. Ammonites of the group of the 

 Cordati specially characterize these beds; while those of the group of 

 the Planulati, such as A. plicatilis, Phil., also occur. The fauna, as 

 will be seen from the annexed list, is not very different from that of 

 the limestone below ; many of the fossils are greatly distorted by 

 pressure. The thickness of these beds exceeds 40 feet ; they probably 

 constitute the highest portion of the Middle Oolites in this district. 



Fossils from the Reefs at Ardassie Point {Coralline Oolite). 



Ammonites corclatus, Sow., var. 



vertebralis, Sow. 



Lamberti, Sow. 



excavatus, Sow. 



plicatilis, Phil. 



;, sp. 



Nerinsea, sp. 

 Chemnitzia, sp. 

 Pholadomya simplex, Phil. 



sequalis, Sow. 



Goniomya v-scripta, Sow., sp. 

 Myacites retusus, Phil., sp. 

 Thracia depressa, Sow., var. 

 Cardium, sp. 



Cucullasa, spec. nov. 

 Area semula, Phil. 

 Trigonia eorallina, Z>' Orb. 



monilifera. Ag. 



Modiola bipartita, Sow. 



cuneata, Sow., var. 



Pinna lanceolata, Sow. 



mitis, Phil. 



Perna Murchisoni, Forbes. 

 Lima lajviuscula, Sow. 



concentrica, Sow. 



Pecten demissus, Phil. 



vagans, Sow. 



lens. Sow. 



