﻿OF 
  THE 
  MORAY 
  FIRTH 
  AREA. 
  

  

  239 
  

  

  vinced 
  the 
  overwhelming 
  majority 
  of 
  geologists 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  

   Triassic 
  age. 
  According 
  to 
  Professor 
  Judd 
  (22) 
  a 
  patch 
  of 
  similar 
  

   rocks 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  near 
  Golspie 
  underlying 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  series 
  of 
  

   Jurassic 
  strata 
  which 
  extends 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  to 
  beyond 
  Helmsdale. 
  

  

  Kising 
  higher 
  in 
  the 
  geological 
  series, 
  certain 
  patches 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  Moray 
  Firth, 
  and 
  notably 
  one 
  at 
  Linksfield 
  near 
  Elgin, 
  

   have 
  been 
  ascribed 
  to 
  the 
  Ehsetic 
  formation, 
  but 
  the 
  remarkable 
  cir- 
  

   cumstance 
  is 
  that 
  these 
  seem 
  to 
  occur 
  in 
  the 
  boulder 
  clay, 
  and 
  conse- 
  

   quently 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  all 
  probability 
  ice-transported 
  masses. 
  That 
  at 
  

   Linksfield 
  contains 
  vertebrate 
  fossils 
  which 
  will 
  hereafter 
  be 
  noticed. 
  

   Transported 
  boulders, 
  referable 
  to 
  the 
  Lower 
  Lias, 
  are 
  also 
  found 
  at 
  

   Kaim 
  and 
  Inverugie 
  in 
  Elginshire, 
  and 
  others 
  of 
  Middle 
  Liassic 
  age 
  

   at 
  Loch 
  Spynie 
  and 
  Lhanbryde. 
  On 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Moray 
  

   Firth 
  a 
  long 
  narrow 
  patch 
  of 
  secondary 
  rocks 
  in 
  situ 
  extends 
  along 
  

   the 
  coast 
  of 
  Sutherland 
  from 
  Golspie 
  in 
  the 
  south-west 
  to 
  Green 
  

   Table 
  Point 
  beyond 
  Helmsdale 
  on 
  the 
  north-east, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  

   eighteen 
  miles. 
  This 
  patch, 
  or 
  belt, 
  attains 
  a 
  breadth 
  of 
  nearly 
  two 
  

   miles 
  at 
  Brora, 
  but 
  becomes 
  very 
  narrow 
  beyond 
  Kintradwell, 
  where 
  

   it 
  is 
  interrupted, 
  and 
  is 
  again 
  interrupted 
  at 
  Helmsdale. 
  The 
  

   geological 
  sequence 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  composing 
  this 
  patch 
  ascends 
  towards 
  

   the 
  north-east, 
  so 
  that 
  from 
  Golspie 
  to 
  Helmsdale 
  we 
  pass 
  in 
  

   succession 
  over 
  strata 
  of 
  Triassic, 
  Liassic. 
  Lower 
  Oolitic, 
  and 
  Upper 
  

   Oolitic 
  age 
  (Judd). 
  

  

  In 
  conclusion, 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  noted 
  that 
  the 
  mapping 
  of 
  the 
  older 
  rocks 
  

   in 
  the 
  Elgin 
  district 
  is 
  rendered 
  difficult 
  by 
  the 
  thick 
  covering 
  of 
  drift 
  

   by 
  which 
  the 
  relations 
  of 
  the 
  subjacent 
  strata 
  is 
  greatly 
  obscured. 
  

  

  Some 
  of 
  the 
  authors 
  of 
  geological 
  works 
  and 
  papers 
  in 
  the 
  list 
  

   given 
  above 
  have 
  also, 
  by 
  their 
  labours 
  as 
  collectors, 
  contributed 
  

   vastly 
  to 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  fossil 
  vertebrate 
  fauna 
  of 
  the 
  

   Moray 
  Firth 
  area. 
  Such 
  names 
  are 
  those 
  of 
  Hugh 
  Miller, 
  whose 
  

   popular 
  descriptions 
  of 
  Old 
  Ked 
  fishes 
  are 
  also 
  classical, 
  the 
  Rev. 
  

   G. 
  Gordon, 
  Dr. 
  Malcolmson, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Patrick 
  Duff; 
  while 
  as 
  field 
  

   workers 
  in 
  this 
  line 
  the 
  names 
  of 
  Lady 
  Gordon 
  dimming 
  of 
  

   Altyre, 
  Mr. 
  Stables 
  of 
  Nairn, 
  Rev. 
  Dr. 
  Joass 
  of 
  Golspie, 
  and 
  

   Mr. 
  J. 
  Grant 
  of 
  Lossiemouth 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  forgotten. 
  Still 
  more 
  

   recently 
  Mr. 
  William 
  Taylor 
  of 
  Lhanbryde 
  has 
  taken 
  up 
  the 
  work 
  

   with 
  enthusiasm 
  and 
  success. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  special 
  or 
  technical 
  

  

  