XVII.—The Fauna of Skipsey's Marine Band

Abstract

PART I. Introduction. Skipsey's Marine Band, now taken as marking the boundary between the Productive Coal Measures and the Barren Red Coal Measures in Scotland, was discovered just over 70 years ago by R. W. Skipsey (1)1 during the sinking of a shaft at Drumpark on the Drumpellier estate, about 6 miles east of Glasgow. In 1888, J. W. Kirkby (2) described two exposures of a marine horizon in the Coal Measures of East Fife (at East Wemyss and West Wemyss respectively) which he tentatively correlated with that at Drumpark. He also recorded its occurrence in a pit-shaft at Denbeath (Wellesley) Colliery, between Methil and Buckhaven. In the “Summary of Progress of the Geological Survey for 1903” (p. 112). reference was made to the finding of a thin marine band in strata overlying the Productive Coal Measures at Dalkeith Park, Midlothian (3), and in 1904, J. Smith (4) recorded the occurrence of marine fossils in the upper part of the Productive Coal Measures in Tongue Glen near Dalmellington, in South Ayrshire. In an important paper published in the “Summary of Progress for 1907” (5), J. Smith and C. T. Clough described exposures of a thin marine limestone near the base of the Barren Red Measures near Airdrie (Palacecraig) and near Kirkconnel (Grasscleuch and Polbower Burns) and also recorded the occurrence of a similar band in pit-sinkings in Central Ayrshire (Burnockhill and Barony Pits). They somewhat guardedly expressed the opinion that all these, as well as the marine beds previously described This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract