IS MINERALOGY OF THE OCHILS. 



decomposing steatite. The beds of the greenstone 

 itself are also separated by thin seams of this 

 steatite, which contains considerable quantity of 

 iron pyrites. The gradation ^ from the rock in 

 which the hornblende predominates to that in 

 which a beautiful flesh-red felspar prevails, is 

 marked in a series of six alternating portions of 

 greenstone and clinkstone, which commence at 

 the above-named section, and may be traced in 

 the face of Bencleugh beyond Alva. 



It is worth recording, that a bed of greenstone 

 occurs in a coarse conglomerated rock in the hill 

 of Balcanquhal f . It is of small extent, and may 

 be seen in all sides except at its base. There can 

 therefore be no doubt of its relations to the rock 

 in which it is imbedded, from the characters of 

 which it may be fairly presumed, that it does not 

 owe its existence to volcanic agency J, 



The characters of the greenstone, are those 

 which commonly occur, except in the higher al- 

 ternating beds, where they assume those of the - 



* It is a curious fact, that all the red varieties of rock that 

 I have observed in the Ochils, occur at the highest points. It 

 is difficult to form even a conjecture as to the cause of this. 



+ About three miles from Kinross, to the north of the road 

 between that place and Cupar. 



i If this bed of greenstone were spouted up from the centre 

 of the earth, the intensely hot fluid mass must have acted on 

 the bed through which it flowed. But of this action there is 

 evidence. 



