144 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



some of your readers will be able to account in some measure for the circum- 

 stance that such fishes with very minute scales should be so much distorted, 

 wliile those with larger scales are not so generally distorted, the only exception 

 being the Glyptolepis. This fish, with larger scales than most of the fishes of 

 the Old Red, is often found greatly distorted. In the Acantliodes pmllus 

 the head and tail are generally contiguous ; sometimes the fish looks as if tied 

 in a knot, and often as though in one roundish mass it had been crushed end- 

 ways. Some of the other species in similar manner have their spines protrud- 

 ing in aU directions around. Such examples are not peculiar to this locality, 

 but are also found in other places. Some of the magnificent specimens in 

 Lady Gordon Cumming's collection contain two or three FtericMliys on one 

 slab. Of the PtericJithi/s there are many species found here, some in a splendid 

 state of preservation, perhaps superior to those from any other place whatever. 



Elgin. — About nine miles from Elgin is Nairn, which is the best place to 

 stop at while visiting the Old Red Sandstone beds in the vicinity. Scat Crag 

 being about four miles distant to the south. I first went there. This locality 

 is well known for its large variety of interesting fossil remains, although 

 generally these are found in fragments. The matrix is of an extremely loose 

 and friable conglomerate of very coarse sand and pebbles ; the fossils (for the 

 most part detached scales, plates and portions of plates and teeth, &c., of 

 various species) are very plentiful, but the greatest possible care is requisite 

 in obtaining them perfect from the matrix, the fossils being as friable as the 

 conglomerate in which they occur, often crumbling in the hand with the 

 slightest touch. Large scales of Holopti/cJiius gigmiteus, &c., are to be 

 obtained here, nearly four inches in diameter, as are occasionally pieces of 

 jaws of Bothriolepis, &c., and many interesting portions of bones, supposed to 

 have belonged to PtericMh/s major. It has been recommended, as a means 

 of preserving these fossHs from falling to pieces, to let the specimens remain 

 a short time in gelatine, and then carefully to dry them. 



In the Elgin Museum are some very fine specimens from this locality, and a 

 very good collection of Old Red fossil's. Patrick Duif, Esq., of Elgin, has also 

 a beautiful collection from this neighbourhood. 



At FiNDRASsiE, about a mile from Spynie, and two and a-half from Elgin, 

 scales, scutes, and bones of Stagonolepis, &c., are found. This quarry is 

 not worked now, but good specimens may yet be obtained from amongst the 

 heaps of rubbish lying about. 



Till' liill of Spynie is about two miles from Elgin, and is a huge mass of 

 sandstone. It is the place where the unique specimen of Telerjmtoti Elginense 

 was discovered, no other specimen of this reptile having been found. 



At Sluie, on the Eindhorn, a few miles from Elgin, many fine specimens 

 have been found, such as scales, teeth, plates, &c., of the several species found 

 at Nairn, Scatcrag, &c. : these also are in detached fragments. Some very 

 fine teeth of fishes of large size have been discovered at this locality, but are 

 extremely rare. 



About seven miles north of Elgin is the Mason hau gii-qu are, y, a place 

 famous for the foot))rints of animals supposed to be reptilian. Numbers of 

 slabs are to l)e foiiiid \\\{\\ such impressions, some of them small, about two 

 inches in leugl h, w it h about an eight or nine inches stride between them ; others, 

 again, are of gigiintir si/.o, some impressions being fifteen inches in length, and 

 ten in breadth, and i'xhihit iiig a stride of fully five feet. This is the only place 

 in Scot laud where thcso l\)()t]irints are found."^ 



liOssiEMOi'Tii is about six miles north of Elgin; the quarries there present 

 alight greyish white and yeUowisli stone, precisely the same in texture and 

 colour as tlie rock at Dura Den, but eimtnining only', as far as has yet been dis- 

 covered, bones and scutes of S/agor/oli'pis ' and ' Ih/peroclapedoi). As sonu^ 



