684 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
The height of these boulders above the sea is about 340 feet. 
2. At Granton Harbour (on west side) a very large blue whin- 
stone boulder lies on the beach at high-water mark, part of which 
only is visible, the rest being covered and concealed by the sea wall 
which protects the road. On the upper surface of this boulder, 
there are innumerable striae, the direction of which is W. 3° S. 
(magn). 
About 100 yards to the eastward, there is another whinstone 
boulder having an iron ring in it, by which boats or vessels may be 
moored. There are striae on it running in the same direction. 
Between these two boulders there are some strata of hard sand- 
stone rock, portions of which have been ground down and show 
striations running also as above. 
3. In the New DocJcs, situated to the eastward of Leith , there is 
an immense bed of boulder clay, which continues along the coast 
eastwards for some miles. 
This boulder clay at the Docks is covered by a muddy sand in 
horizontal beds about 8 or 10 feet thick. On the surface of the 
boulder clay there is a bed of oyster shells, of large size. There is 
as usual on the surface of the boulder clay a great accumulation of 
boulders, these having remained when the upper portion of the 
boulder clay bed was washed away by the sea. Most of the 
boulders are well rounded. The largest I saw, a light coloured blue 
whinstone, measured 10x8x6 feet, and was estimated to weigh 18 
tons. About nine-tenths of the boulders are whinstones, but there 
are also some of quartz, limestone, sandstone, silurian, granite, and 
black ironstone concretions from beds of shale. These boulders 
have evidently come from the westward. On a great many, there 
are ruts or striae all maintaining the same direction, viz., W. by H. 
(magn.) Those which are longer than they are broad, have their 
longer axis in the same direction. 
Among the boulders, there were two metallic in composition, 
which deserve special notice.* 
One, nearly spherical, measures 7J inches in circumference, and 
* The Committee have to thank Mr Hugh Campbell, who is professionally 
engaged in the formation of these new docks, for bringing to them the two 
remarkable balls here referred to, as well as for affording to the Convener 
opportunities for seeing the excavations. 
