THE GEOLOGY OF SOUTH-EASTERN KINCARDINESHIRE. 933 
been obtained which has enabled me to map the Downtonian series for about seven 
miles to the west. The general strike of the series is parallel to the Highland fault, 
while the strata are highly inclined with dip to the south-south-east. Locally, as may 
be seen in the coast section, there is inversion, and the beds dip towards the fault. It 
is quite clear, however, that from the mouth of the Cowie Water to the basement 
breccia we are dealing with a descending succession. From the coast to the neighbour- 
hood of Elfhill the Downtonian rocks form the lowest strata in the steeply inclined 
northern limb of the Strathmore syncline. Westwards from Elfhill there is a tendency 
to set up a steep-limbed anticline pitching out to the south-west against the Highland 
fault, and from Hlfhill to the Carron Water just west of the farm of Waters the 
Downtonian series occupies the core of the anticline. 
No very useful purpose would be served by describing in detail the various inland 
sections. The volcanic conglomerate with its associated tuffs (No. 4), and the fossili- 
ferous green and grey mudstones of No. 5, have been traced at intervals for about six 
miles to the west of Stonehaven. They keep the same relative position, their litho- 
logical characters are constant, and Dictyocaris continues to be the characteristic fossil. 
Both zones may be recognised in the Carron Water between Carron Lodge and the bend 
of the river opposite Dunnottar church. Just west of the church the series is traversed 
by an important fault, which extends from Thornyhive Bay to the Highland fault near 
Fetteresso sawmill. The outcrop of the fossiliferous beds is shifted to the north-west. 
Reappearing in the Cheyne Burn near the sawmill, they may be traced westwards, and 
are found in the Burn of Graham a short distance below Bridge of Graham, on the 
Carron Water about half a mile west of Tewel, and again on the Carron Water at its 
junction with the Elfhill Burn. The volcanic conglomerates and tufts are best seen 
in a splendid strike section in the Elfhill Burn. They are also exposed in the Burn 
of Graham. 
From the section in the Carron west of Tewel Mr D. Tarr obtained a fish spine, and, 
since there the green mudstones are associated with a reddish sandy mudstone, which, 
lithologically, is identical with the band which yielded the fishes at Cowie, it is hoped 
that careful search in this locality will yield further specimens belonging to the Cowie fish 
fauna. In a quarry near the schoolhouse of Tewel a curious mottled sandstone is in 
places richly charged with plant remains, none of which unfortunately are determinable. 
VI. EvIDENCE REGARDING THE AGE OF THE ‘‘ STONEHAVEN BeEpDs.” 
At an early stage in this research one of the points which appealed to me most 
strongly was the marked dissimilarity between the ‘‘ Stonehaven Beds” and the usual 
facies of the Caledonian Old Red of Kincardineshire and Forfarshire. And when, 
afterwards, under the guidance of Dr Pracu, I had visited typical sections of the 
Downtonian of Lanarkshire and the Pentland Hills, it became clear at once that, so far 
as lithological evidence went, the above series bore the impress of a Downtonian rather 
