THE GEOLOGIST. 
DECEMBER, 1859. 
THE CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM IN SCOTLAND CHARAC- 
TERIZED BY ITS BRACHIOPODA. 
By Thomas Davidson, Esq., F.R.S., F.G.S., Hon. Member of the 
Geological Society of Glasgow, etc., etc. 
Much lias been written on the geology of Scotland, and perhaps no 
country has given birth to a larger proportion of eminent inquirers. 
The names of Hutton, Playfair, Murchison, and Lyell will ever be 
remembered among those of the great Scotchmen, who by their 
acquirements, genius, and perseverance, have so materially contri- 
buted to elevate the science of Geology to the rank it now holds 
among all men of learning. 
Much has, however, still to be achieved before the geological and 
palajontological details connected with our country will have been 
completely worked out, and many zealoiis inquirers must be sum- 
moned to the field ; some will do much, others little ; but every accu- 
rate observation is so much gain, and wiU tend towards the complete 
elucidation of the subject, as well as help to form a basis upon which 
great minds may found with safety their general views and appre- 
ciations. I therefore hailed witli much hope and delight the founda- 
tion of a Geological Society in Glasgow, which originated in May, 
1858, Avith about a dozen yovmg men, who wished to gain knowledge 
of the geological phenomena in the neighbourhood of their great 
city, under the guidance of an experienced and practical geologist ; 
and thus, owing to the active co-operation and dir-ection of Mr. J. P. 
Fraser, and that of some of its founders, the Society has already done 
some good work, and increased its numbers to about one hundred. 
Scotland was long believed to be poor in organic remains, and 
although many are the remarkable fossil organisms that have been 
made known fi-om time to time,* it is only within the last twenty 
* Who is unacquainted with the wonderous fishes discovered and so admirably 
described by Agassiz, H. Miller, Egerton, and others, such as the Pterichtliys, 
Coccosteus, Dipterus, Ccphalnspis, Holnptycliius, Megalichthys, Asterolepis, etc. ? 
Have not the Telerpeton Ehjiiicnse, the SU.ujonnlepis, the Pteryc/otus bilohus, etc., 
VOL. II. T T 
