367 
of Edinburgh, Session 1876-7 A 
Monday , 2 d April 1877. 
Ski WILLIAM THOMSON, President, in the Chair. 
The following Communications were read : — 
1. Professor Geikie exhibited a large Map showing the 
progress of the Geological Survey of Scotland. 
2. Notice of a Saline Water from the Volcanic Rocks of 
Linlithgow. By Professor Geikie, F.R.S. 
From a boring which has recently been made about a mile west 
from the town of Linlithgow, water has been obtained differing so 
much in character from that of the usual wells and springs of the 
district that some notice of it deserves to be placed on record. 
When the fact was communicated to me I was asked to explain by 
what means sea-water could obtain access to underground rocks in 
an inland district. On visiting the ground 1 found the site of the 
bore to be among some hollows of the gravel and sand which 
cover the country between Falkirk and Linlithgow, its height 
being about 165 feet above the sea, from which it was distant 
about three miles. The ordinary wells of the district are situated 
in the superficial deposits, and supply good potable water, though 
the supply is necessarily limited. A more copious flow being desired 
the bore was sunk through the sands, gravels, and clays (here 
rather more than 100 feet thick), and then entered upon a succes- 
sion of green, brown, blue, and red “ wbinstone.” After a depth 
of 317 feet had been passed through, consisting entirely of these 
alternations of “ whinstone,’ ; a sample of the tolerably copious 
supply of water which had now appeared was drawn up and sent 
for analysis to Dr Stevenson Macadam, whose results were as 
follow : — 
Chloride of sodium, 
Sulphate of lime, 
Chloride of calcium, 
Chloride of magnesium, 
Chloride of potassium, 
1 18*7 6 grains per imperial gallon. 
7-94 
6- 78 
7- 83 
1-46 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
33 
3 c 
VOL. IX. 
