THE GEOLOGY OF SOUTH-EASTERN KINCARDINESHIRE. 927 
cherts of the Southern Uplands, and the presence of rounded bodies suggestive of 
the remains of radiolaria probably indicates that they have had a similar origin. 
In August 1909, on the occasion of a visit to the Garron Point section in company 
with Dr B. N. Peacu and Dr W. T. Gorpon, we spent some time in searching for 
fossils in the above-mentioned sediments. The rocks on the whole seemed to be less 
intensely sheared than the similar rocks in the North Esk and Drumtochty sections, 
and the cleavage planes to coincide approximately with the bedding planes. Hence 
the conditions seemed favourable for the preservation of fossils. Nor were we dis- 
appointed. After a few hours’ work we discovered in the black cherty shales on 
the north side of Craigeven Bay what were undoubtedly organic remains, namely, a 
linguloid shell, a bivalve phyllocarid crustacean, and a worm tube. Realising the 
importance of the discovery, we reported it to Dr Horns, then Assistant Director of 
the Geological Survey, and the assistance of Mr D. Tarr was obtained in making 
a detailed search in the fossiliferous beds. Mr Tarr collected a remarkable suite of 
fossils, which have thrown important light on the age of the rocks. Dr Pracu, in 
whose hands the fossils were placed for determination, has very kindly supplied the 
following note :— 
“The collection includes several specimens of hingeless brachiopods belonging to 
the genera Lingulella, Obolella, Acrotreta, Iinnarssonia, and Siphonotreta; a few 
specimens of a bivalve phyllocarid allied to Caryocars and Lingulocaris; cases of a 
tubicolar worm, the structure of the tubes being like that of the modern Ditrupa. 
‘‘Without further study it may be premature to express a definite opinion about 
the horizon of these fossils. The genera represented are most commonly found in 
the lowest division of the Lower Silurian (Ordovician) system and the Upper Cambrian. 
The absence of graptolites, however, suggests that they may belong to the latter rather 
than to the Lower Silurian.” 
Dr Watocort, of the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, to whom a selection 
of the fossils was afterwards submitted, reports that he is inclined to agree with 
Dr Pracu’s conclusion that the fauna is an Upper Cambrian one. 
With the exception of radiolaria, which had been detected by Dr Pracu in the 
cherts at Gualin, near Loch Lomond, the other occurrences of these rocks along the 
Highland Border had not yielded any organic remains. Recently, however, Dr JEnu * 
has announced the discovery of fossils in the chert and black shale series at Aberfoyle. 
And in Dr Jexv’s collection Dr Pracu has recognised Lingulella, Obolus, and the jaw 
of an annelid. 
The chief interest in the discovery of fossils in the Highland Border rocks lies in 
the direct bearing which it has on the fascinating, if perplexing, problems presented by 
the tectonics of the Central and Eastern Highlands. 
Are these rocks pre-Cambrian? Their correlation as Lower Silurian is suggested by 
the lithological and structural resemblances between the Jasper and Green-rock and 
* Nature, vol. lxxxix. p. 347, 1912. 
