462 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



years or so that much attention has been devoted to the subject, and 

 the paleeontological riches of some of its rocks have been duly appre- 

 ciated. It is, therefore, chiefly at the suggestion of my much esteemed 

 friend Mr. John Young, of the Hunterian Museum of Glasgow, that 

 I here attempt the pubhcation of a special illustrated catalog-ue, or 

 monograph, of all the Scottish species of Brachiopoda that have been 

 hitherto obtained from the strata of the Carboniferous period ; and 

 this I have undertaken in the hope that by so doing it may stimulate 

 and facilitate farther researches, as well as prove of some assistance 

 to those friends in Scotland to whom I am personally indebted for the 

 gift and loan of the valuable series of specimens which will be made 

 use of in the present memoir.* 



Almost all the great geological systems are represented in Scot- 

 land, although not generally so completely as may be seen in other 

 countries. Many of our principal fossiliferous deposits are to be 

 found in the Carboniferous system, and especially so as far as the 

 Brachiopoda are concerned. It will, therefore, be a subject for pre- 

 sent and future research to determine as nearly as possible the exact 

 horizon or vertical distribution of the species, or, in other words, of 

 their individual duration in time and space ; but prior to entering 

 upon this and other paleeontological questions which will form the 

 main purport of the present communication, it will be desirable to 

 preface the subject by a few lines upon the strata themselves, that the 



been recent and startling discoveries ? Does not the rich and varied collection 

 of Scottish fossils, formed with so much skill and science by the lamented H, 

 Miller, as well as that of Dr. Fleming, and many others, show how much palaeon- 

 tological wealth we already possess, and may still expect to discover. 



Unfortunately, but a small proportion of our species have been hitherto made 

 known, and it is to be hoped and much desired that some day the palaeontology 

 of Scotland will be separately and specially treated — an object the late Professor 

 Edward Forbes had always in view, and which, had he lived, was his firm resolu- 

 tion to have accomplished. 



* For some years past, I have been accumulating material and observations on 

 Scottish Brachiopoda, on account of the monographs which are being published 

 by the PalaeontogTaphioal Society of London ; and, although my own field- 

 researches in Scotland have been very limited in their extent, I may, perhaps, 

 be permitted to mention that I devoted with but Httle intermission the larg-er 

 portion of the years 1835 and 1836 towards assisting my late friend Robert J. 

 Hay Cunningham, while preparing his prize-essay " On the Geology of the 

 Lothians," which counties were traversed by us in almost every direction. I 

 have also had the advantage of being able to visit some portions of the Lanark- 

 shire and Fifeshire coal-fields. 



It is to me a very pleasing duty to acknowledge the important, truly kind, and 

 zealous assistance I have received from many of my countryman, while collecting 

 material in connection with this paper, and I therefore beg to tender my warmest 

 thanks to Sir R. Murchison, Mr. John Young, Mr. J. Armstrong, Mr. Page, Mr. 

 J. P. Fraser, Mr. J. Thomson, Mr. A. Bryson, Mr. Rose, Mr, A. Cowan, Mr. J. 

 Bennie, Dr. SUmon, Professor Nicol, Mr. Smith, Mrs. Rogers, as well as to the 

 memory of the late Dr. Fleming and H. Miller. 



I have also had access to a very extensive and valuable collection of specimens 

 derived from the parish of Carluke, made many years ago by a local inquirer, to 

 whom I am indebted for much kindness, as weU as for the specimens I am able 

 to figure, and the information I shall communicate on that important district. 



