of Edinburgh, Session 1879 - 80 . 
581 
the sea, there is one of mica slate, 11x6x6 feet, lying on rocks of 
clay slate. Its longer axis is IN’, by E. and S. by W., its sharpest 
end being to the north. The axis was parallel to the valley of Loch 
Long. Its south end was pressing against a knoll of gravel as 
shown on fig. 7, plate XIX., which seemed to have intercepted its 
farther progress to the south. This boulder had apparently come 
down Loch Long, though whether floated by ice or carried by a 
glacier, is a question. But the knoll of water-borne gravel at its 
south end, favours the former theory. 
Another boulder on this same ridge, 8x6x5 feet, occurs at about 
360 feet above the sea, also blocked at its south end by a rocky 
knoll. 
In the Gareloch, on the east side, a little below Shandon, on the 
beach, a gneiss boulder occurs, 18x15x12 feet, with its sharp end 
pointing X.X. W. The boulder on that side presented a very smooth 
surface. Every other side was rough. 
The foregoing boulders as regards position , may all be accounted 
for by the supposition of the transporting agent having passed through 
the valleys in which they are situated, in a southerly direction. 
The boulders in the Gareloch and Loch Long were reported on by 
the late Charles Maclaren, and the opinion which he formed was 
that they had been brought to their present position by floating ice. 
It appears that the late Sir Roderick Murchison visited this dis- 
trict, and gave an opinion against the theory of glaciers as applicable 
here. — (Chambers in u Edinburgh Xew. Phil. Journ.,” vol. lv.) 
4. Loch Fyne . — I was invited by Mr M‘Killop, schoolmaster at 
Loch Gair , situated about 7 or 8 miles west of Inveraray, to inspect 
some large boulders in that district. 
The first block seen was situated about 3 miles to the north of 
Loch Fyne, surrounded by hills, most of them covered by drift. It 
was 23x17x12 feet, its longer axis lying X.X.E. and S.S.W. It 
was resting on a knoll of gravel, and at some distance from any hills. 
It was clearly an erratic, — a coarse gneiss. At first I was puzzled to 
account for its position being so exactly on the apex of the gravel knoll. 
It struck me eventually, that its great size and weight had been the 
means of protecting, by covering the knoll on which it originally 
had been dropped. The denuding agencies which could loosen and 
sweep away the gravel and sand in the surrounding parts of the 
