482 ON THE COAL- FOR MAT ION 



many small pieces of splint and rough coal, also 

 sandstone of various shades, particularly white 

 and light- red, varieties of argillaceous schistus, 

 termed Blaes, and pieces of ironstone. In short, 

 there are to be found, mixed with the till, speci- 

 mens of almost all the strata of the adjoining coal- 

 field ; and it is somewhat remarkable, that these 

 fragments are in general quite sharp in the angles, 

 and very little worn. 



In piercing through this cover, few or no sand- 

 beds occur ; and the only change perceptible from 

 the Devon alluvial soil to the alluvial soil of the 

 Forth, in the line of section, is in the Meadow Hill, 

 and in the two fields adjoining. In the park north 

 of it, there is a quantity of peat-earth near the sur- 

 face ; and in the Meadow Hill, besides the till, are 

 water-gravel and beds of sand. The Meadow Park 

 is composed of about six feet of loose peat soil, un- 

 der which is a bed of clean gravel, composed of such 

 stones as are found in brooks immediately adjoin- 

 ing the Ochill Hills. And there is a deep, strong 

 and plastic clay adjoining Brathy Burn. 



In this immense bed of till, we have never 

 found the remains of trees, or of any organised bo- 

 dy ; which seems remarkable. 



Where this till was cut through to the great 

 depth of 163 feet, as before mentioned, the lower 

 six inches of it, which rested upon the coal strata, 

 was quite different from all which was above it ; 

 it appeared to have been deposited from water in 



