XXV.— A New Plant Horizon in the Coal Measures of the Kilwinning District

Abstract

The purpose of this note is to place on record the recent discovery of a new plant-bed at the base of the Productive Coal Measures of North Ayrshire. The locality, which lies 1¾ miles south-west of Kilwinning, was formerly known as ‘Warner’s Clay Quarry’ and is so designated on the Geological Survey six-inch quarter-sheet Ayr 16 N.E. published in 1923. Dr. E. M. Anderson in “Economic Geology of the Ayrshire Coalfields, Area 11,” 1925, p. 33, states that the material obtained in this quarry may have come in part from the beds immediately above the Raise Coal, “although work was apparently mainly done in a higher fireclay or blaes, separated from this last by a sandstone and a thin coal.” Later the valuable Ayrshire Bauxitic Clay, underlying the Raise Coal, was found in workable thickness at this locality and for a number of years has been wrought opencast and mined from Dubbs Quarry, adjoining the old clay pit. The following section is exposed in the Dubbs Quarry face:— The plant-bed occurs within the grey shales or blaes on top of a 4-inch black layer which lies in turn 3½ ft. above the 10-inch coal. It is at least 5 inches thick and can be traced for 70 yards or more along the quarry face. The main collection was made 20 yards east of the mine head, at a point where plant-remains were particularly abundant. The following species were determined by Professor J. Walton:— This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract