III.—On the Physical Conditions under which the Old Red Sandstone of Scotland was Deposited

Abstract

The physical conditions under which the Old Red Sandstone of Scotland was formed is a subject that has long occupied the attention of many of our leading geologists, from the time of Hugh Miller and Sir Roderick Murchison down to those of the present day. It has been variously regarded as of fresh-water and marine origin, as having been thrown down in lakes and in the open sea, or in inlets of the latter. But as yet the whole matter seems to remain an open question, which the unique physical and palæontological elements of the formation make difficult of solution.