On the so-called Raised Sea-Beach Bed at LeitJi. 429 



deposit in the section consists of a bed of sandy clay, three or 

 four feet thick, superimposed upon stratified beds of sand and 

 gravel, and can be traced by its small columnar structure, 

 due to shrinkage in drying and exposure, so characteristic of 

 clays, as also by its light brown colour, onwards to the northern 

 extremity of the section. This bed gradually blends with a 

 dark unstratified mass of old humus, which, at the north end 

 of the pit, is overlaid by a tongue of shot sand, with patches 

 of humus intermixed, presenting an appearance of two beds 

 that are represented in Mr Geikie's diagram as beds 5 and 6. 

 Bed No. 7, which Mr Geikie says w is the highest in the 

 section, and consists of stratified sand and shingle, full of 

 littoral shells, and some balani still attached," is not seen in 

 the sand-pit section ; and the only representative that has been 

 observed is a narrow strip of marine shingle and sand, mixed 

 with humus, laid down at the bottom of the garden. The 

 whole of this locality is overspread with artificial deposits. A 

 diagram, prepared by Mr Sharbau, assistant marine sur- 

 veyor, gives a correct representation of the phenomena observed 

 in this sand-pit section. The lowest bed consists of sand and 

 coarse shingle, and contains abundance of worn marine shells, 

 the balani adhering to the interior of the oyster valves. This 

 bed is four or five feet above the sea level, and its character 

 and contents are identical with a ripple-zone deposit. The 

 overlying stratum is composed of marine sand, and varies in 

 thickness. In this sand-pit it is five or six feet, whilst in an 

 adjoining one, a few yards to the eastward, and now filled up, 

 it was eleven feet thick, and contained abundance of worn 

 marine shells and comminuted fragments. It is continuous 

 with the bed of marine sand, in great part blown, on which the 

 town of Leith is built, and is connected to the shore sand. 

 This bed is frequently exposed in foundations for buildings 

 and cuttings for drainage, and when passed through is found 

 to rest on the boulder clay. The deposit of sand and gravel 

 which overlies this bed in the sand-pit section is destitute of 

 marine remains, and appears to be of fluviatile origin. It is 

 remarkably irregular, and rises at the south end of the sand- 

 pit into a protuberance six feet thick. The bed of marine 

 sand disappears in the direction of the river, and the gravel 



