The Old Red Sandstone

CHAPTER I.. Page

PAGE

The Working-man's true Policy.--His only Mode of acquiring Power.--The Exercise of the Faculties essential to Enjoyment.--No necessary Connection between Labor and Unhappiness.--Narrative.--Scenes in a Quarry.--The two dead Birds.--Landscape.--Ripple Markings on a Sandstone Slab.--Boulder Stones.--Inferences derived from their water-worn Appearance.--Sea-coast Section.--My first discovered Fossil.--Lias Deposit on the Shores of the Moray Frith.--Belemnite.--Result of the Experience of half a Lifetime of Toil.--Advantages of a Wandering Profession in Connection with the Geology of a Country.--Geological Opportunities of the Stone-Mason.--Design of the present Work, 1-14

CHAPTER II.. The Old Red Sandstone.--Till Very Lately Its Existence As a

The Old Red Sandstone.--Till very lately its Existence as a distinct Formation disputed.--Still little known.--Its great Importance in the Geological Scale.--Illustration.--The North of Scotland girdled by an immense Belt of Old Red Sandstone.--Line of the Girdle along the Coast.--Marks of vast Denudation.--Its Extent partially indicated by Hills on the western Coast of Ross-shire.--The System of great Depth in the North of Scotland.--Difficulties in the Way of estimating the Thickness of Deposits.--Peculiar Formation of Hill.--Illustrated by Ben Nevis.--Caution to the Geological Critic.--Lower Old Red Sandstone immensely developed in Caithness.--Sketch of the Geology of that County.--Its strange Group of Fossils.--their present Place of Sepulture.--Their ancient Habitat.--Agassiz.--Amazing Progress of Fossil Ichthyology during the last few Years.--Its Nomenclature.--Learned Names repel unlearned Readers.--Not a great deal in them, 15-34

CHAPTER III.. Lamarck's Theory of Progression Illustrated.--Class of Facts

Lamarck's Theory of Progression illustrated.--Class of Facts which give Color to it.--The Credulity of Unbelief.--M. Maillet and his Fish-birds.--Gradation not Progress.--Geological Argument.--The Present incomplete without the Past.--Intermediate Links of Creation.--Organisms of the Lower Old Red Sandstone.--The Pterichthys.--Its first Discovery.--Mr. Murchison's Decision regarding it.--Confirmed by that of Agassiz.--Description.--The several Varieties of the Fossil yet discovered.--Evidence of violent Death in the Attitudes in which they are found.--The Coccosteus of the Lower Old Red.--Description.--Gradations from Crustacea to Fishes.--Habits of the Coccosteus.--Scarcely any Conception too extravagant for Nature to realize, 35-54

CHAPTER IV.. The Elfin-Fish of Gawin Douglas.--the Fish of the Old Red

The Elfin-fish of Gawin Douglas.--The Fish of the Old Red Sandstone scarcely less curious.--Place which they occupied indicated in the present Creation by a mere Gap.--Fish divided into two great Series, the Osseous and Cartilaginous.--Their distinctive Peculiarities.--Geological Illustration of Dr. Johnson's shrewd Objection to the Theory of Soame Jenyns.--Proofs of the intermediate Character of the Ichthyolites of the Old lied Sandstone.--Appearances which first led the Writer to deem it intermediate.--Confirmation by Agassiz.--The Osteolepis.--Order to which, this Ichthyolite belonged.--Description.--Dipterus.--Diplopierus.-- Cheirolepis.--Glyptolepis, 55-78

CHAPTER V.. The Classifying Principle and Its Uses.--Three Groups

The Classifying Principle and its Uses.--Three Groups of Ichthyolites among the Organisms of the Lower Old Red Sandstone.--Peculiarities of the Third Group.--Its Varieties.--Description of the Cheiracanthus.--Of two unnamed Fossils of the same Order.--Microscopic Beauty of these ancient Fish.--Various Styles of Ornament which obtain among them.--The Molluscs of the Formation.--Remarkable chiefly for the Union of modern with ancient Forms which they exhibit.--Its Vegetables.--Importance and Interest of the Record which it furnishes, 79-94

CHAPTER VI.. The Lines of the Geographer Rarely Right Lines.--These Last,

The Lines of the Geographer rarely right Lines.--These last, however, always worth looking at when they occur.--Striking Instance in the Line of the Great Caledonian Valley.--Indicative of the Direction in which the Volcanic Agencies have operated.--Sections of the Old Red Sandstone furnished by the granitic Eminences of the Line.--Illustration.--Lias of the Moray Frith.--Surmisings regarding its original Extent.--These lead to an exploratory Ramble.--Narrative.--Phenomena exhibited in the Course of half an Hour's Walk.--The little Bay.--Its Strata and their Organisms, 95-108

CHAPTER VII.. Further Discoveries of the Ichthyolite Beds.--Found in One

Further Discoveries of the Ichthyolite Beds.--Found in one Locality under a Bed of Peat.--Discovered in another beneath an ancient Burying-ground.--In a third underlying the Lias Formation.--In a fourth overtopped by a still older Sandstone Deposit.--Difficulties in ascertaining the true Place of a newly-discovered Formation.--Caution against drawing too hasty Inferences from the mere Circumstance of Neighborhood.--The Writer receives his first Assistance from without.--Geological Appendix of the Messrs. Anderson, of Inverness.--Further Assistance from the Researches of Agassiz.--Suggestion.--Dr. John Malcolmson.--His extensive Discoveries in Moray.--He submits to Agassiz a Drawing of the Pterichthys.--Place of the Ichthyolites in the Scale at length determined.--Two distinct Platforms of Being in the Formation to which they belong, 109-124

CHAPTER VIII.. Upper Formations of the Old Red Sandstone.--Room Enough, for Each

Upper Formations of the Old Red Sandstone.--Room enough, for each and to spare.--Middle, or Cornstone Formation.--The Cephalaspis its most characteristic Organism.--Description.--The Den of Balruddery richer in the Fossils of this middle Formation than any other Locality yet discovered.--Various Contemporaries of the Cephalaspis.--Vegetable Impressions.--Gigantic Crustacean.--Seraphim.--Ichthyodorulites.--Sketch of the Geology of Forfarshire.--Its older Deposits of the Cornstone Formation.--The Quarries of Carmylie.--Their Vegetable and Animal Remains.--The Upper Formation.--Wide Extent of the Fauna and Flora of the earlier Formations.--Probable Cause, 125-150

CHAPTER IX.. Fossils of the Upper Old Red Sandstone Much More Imperfectly

Fossils of the Upper Old Red Sandstone much more imperfectly preserved than those of the Lower.--The Causes obvious.--Difference between the two Groups, which first strikes the Observer, a difference in size.--The Holoptychius a characteristic Ichthyolite of the Formation.--Description of its huge Scales.--Of its Occipital Bones, Fins, Teeth, and general Appearance.--Contemporaries of the Holoptychius.--Sponge-like Bodies.--Plates resembling those of the Sturgeon.--Teeth of various forms, but all evidently the teeth of fishes.--Limestone Band and its probable Origin.--Fossils of the Yellow Sandstone.--the Pterichthys of Dura Den.--Member of a Family peculiarly characteristic of the System.--No intervening Formation between the Old Red Sandstone and the Coal Measures.--The Holoptychius contemporary for a time with the Megalichthys,--The Columns of Tubal-Cain, 151-172

CHAPTER X.. Speculations in the Old Red Sandstone, and Their

Speculations in the Old Red Sandstone, and their Character.--George, first Earl of Cromarty.--His Sagacity as a Naturalist at fault in one instance.--Sets himself to dig for Coal in the Lower Old Red Sandstone.--Discovers a fine Artesian Well.--Value of Geological Knowledge in an economic view.--Scarce a Secondary Formation in the Kingdom in which Coal has not been sought for.--Mineral Springs of the Old Red Sandstone.--Strathpeffer.--Its Peculiarities whence derived.--Chalybeate Springs of Easter Ross and the Black Isle.--Petrifying Springs.--Building-Stone and Lime of the Old Red Sandstone.--Its various Soils, 173-189

CHAPTER XI.. Geological Physiognomy.--Scenery of the Primary Formations;

Geological Physiognomy.--Scenery of the Primary Formations; Gneiss, Mica Schist, Quartz Rock.--Of the Secondary; the Chalk Formations, the Oolite, the New Red Sandstone, the Coal Measures.--Scenery in the Neighborhood of Edinburgh.--Aspect of the Trap Rocks.--The Disturbing and Denuding Agencies.--Distinctive Features of the Old Red Sandstone.--Of the Great Conglomerate.--Of the Ichthyolite Beds.--The Burn of Eathie.--The Upper Old Red Sandstones.--Scene in Moray, 190-210

CHAPTER XII.. The Two Aspects in Which Matter Can Be Viewed; Space and

The two Aspects in which Matter can be viewed; Space and Time.--Geological History of the Earlier Periods.--The Cambrian System.--Its Annelids.--The Silurian System.--Its Corals, Encrinites, Molluscs, and Trilobites.--Its Fish.--These of a high Order, and called into Existence apparently by Myriads.--Opening Scene in the History of the Old Red Sandstone a Scene of Tempest.--Represented by the Great Conglomerate.--Red a prevailing Color among the Ancient Rocks contained in this Deposit.--Amazing Abundance of Animal Life.--Exemplified by a Scene in the Herring Fishery.--Platform of Death.--Probable Cause of the Catastrophe which rendered it such, 211-225

CHAPTER XIII.. Successors of the Exterminated Tribes.--the Gap Slowly

Successors of the exterminated Tribes.--The Gap slowly filled.--Proof that the Vegetation of a Formation may long survive its Animal Tribes.--Probable Cause.--Immensely extended Period during which Fishes were the Master-existences of our Planet.--Extreme Folly of an Infidel Objection illustrated by the Fact.--Singular Analogy between the History of Fishes as Individuals and as a Class.--Chemistry of the Lower Formation.--Principles on which the Fish-enclosing Nodules were probably formed.--Chemical Effect of Animal Matter in discharging the Color from Red Sandstone.--Origin of the prevailing tint to which the System owes its Name.--Successive Modes in which a Metal may exist.--The Restorations of the Geologist void of Color.--Very different Appearance of the Ichthyolites of Cromarty and Moray, 226-242

CHAPTER XIV.. The Cornstone Formation and Its Organisms.--Dwarf

The Cornstone Formation and its Organisms.--Dwarf Vegetation.--Cephalaspides.--Huge Lobster.--Habitats of the existing Crustacea.--No unapt representation of the Deposit of Balruddery, furnished by a land-locked Bay in the neighborhood of Cromarty.--Vast Space occupied by the Geological Formations.--Contrasted with the half-formed Deposits which represent the existing Creation.--Inference.--The formation of the Holoptychius.--Probable origin of its Siliceous Limestone.--Marked increase in the Bulk of the Existences of the System.--Conjectural Cause.--The Coal Measures.--The Limestone of Burdie House Conclusion, 243-259

Ichthyolites of the Old Red Sandstone--from Agassiz's "Poissons Fossiles," 261-288

EXPLANATIONS OF THE SECTIONS AND PLATES.

SECTION I.. Represents the Old Red System of Scotland From Its Upper Beds of

Represents the Old Red System of Scotland from its upper beds of Yellow Quartzose Sandstone to its Great Conglomerate base. a. Quartzose Yellow Sandstone, b. Impure concretionary limestone enclosing masses of chert, c. Red and variegated sandstones and conglomerate. These three deposits constitute an upper formation of the system, characterized by its peculiar group of fossils. (See

Chapter Ix.) _d._ Deposit of Gray Fissile Sandstone Which Constitutes

the middle formation of the system, characterized also by its peculiar organic group. (See Chapter VIII.) e. Red and variegated sandstones, undistinguishable often in their mineral character from the upper sandstones, c, but in general less gritty, and containing fewer pebbles, f. Bituminous schists, g. Coarse gritty sandstone. h. Great Conglomerate. These four beds compose a lower formation of the system, more strikingly marked by its peculiar organisms than even the other two. (See Chapters II. III. IV. and V.) In the section this lower formation is represented as we find it developed in Caithness and Orkney. In fig. 5 it is represented as developed in Cromarty, where, though the fossils are identical with those of the more northern localities, at least one of the deposits, f, is mineralogically different--alternating beds of sandstone and clay, these last enclosing limestone nodules, taking the place of the bituminous schists.

SECTION II.. The Old Red System of England and Wales, As Given in the General

The Old Red System of England and Wales, as given in the general Section of Mr. Murchison, with the Silurian Rocks beneath and the carboniferous limestone above. i. The point in the geological scale at which vertebrated existences first appear. The three Old Red Sandstone formations of this section correspond in their characteristic fossils with those of Scotland, but the proportions in which they are developed are widely different. The tilestones seem a comparatively narrow stripe in the system in England; the answering formation in Scotland, e, f, g, h, is of such enormous thickness, that it has been held by very superior geologists to contain three distinct formations--e, the New Red Sandstone, f, a representative of the Coal Measures, and g, h, the Old Red Sandstone.

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