For an account of the Islands of Scotland, we must refer to the following articles, under which they have been described with great minuteness.
IN that which is commonly called natural history, including the departments of zoology, in all its branch es, and botany, there is little or nothing, in its nature in Scotland, so far differing from that of the rest of Britain as to require a separate detail; and we shall here therefore refer to our article on ENGLAND, where that subject has been already generally treated. It is in the branch of geology and mineralogy alone that the distinction is real and important; and therefore we shall here occupy the space which we have to be stow on this subject. with a sketch of the geology and mineralogy of Scotland; an extensive subject, which might well occupy a volume.
The account already given of the physical geogra phy may be considered as the basis of this subject, and therefore we have already cut short a large por tion of this article in that particular one to which we may now refer. It only remains to describe the general places and connections of the several rocks which are found; and, we believe, that the best method will be to enumerate them according to their geologi cal places and esteemed order of superposition. We shall, therefore, commence with granite, and proceed. upwards to the superficial strata. We must also pre mise, that as the subject of coal has already been amply treated in our article on that subject, we shall here omit that important branch of the present enquiry.
Granite is found in distinct and distant parts of Scotland; but the most extensive tract is in Aberdeen shire. Here it forms the great mountain mass of Cairngorm, Ben Avon, and the associated mountains on both sides of the Dee; ramifying also into Inver ness-shire and Perthshire. Over some considerable tracts it is continuous; but in others it is interrupted in that respect by patches more or less extensive, of the schistose rocks which are superincumbent on the mass. When it vanishes, it is accompanied by veins penetrating the adjoining rocks; and of these, the ex amples in Glen Tilt arc celebrated in the history of Scottish geology, as having attracted the attention of many of its geologists. The arguments and views
drawn from these are well known to the cultivators of this science; and being foreign to a sketch of local or topographic geology, we shall pass them over.
From this great centre, the granite is found extend ing through all the lower parts of Aberdeenshire, even to Peterhead, and further north, till it is cut off by the superincumbent slate, and other rocks which follow it in this direction. To the south of Banff it reappears in another considerable tract, and is there cut off again and terminated by the western mountains of this county. It would be impossible to detail the boundaries of the granite in Aberdeenshire, and the relative spaces occupied by the other rocks intermix ed with it, for want of sufficient political or local boundaries and names; but it may be safely estimated, that one half the country eastward consists of this rock, irregularly intermixed with the gneiss, slate, and other substances which lie over it. Here also we must remark, that it occupies the lowest levels as well as the loftiest mountains, being found even on the sea shore, at Peterhead, and elsewhere.
In the neighbourhood of Aberdeen it is extensively quarried both for home consumption and exportation; and it is properly esteemed to be one of thc most valu able kinds in the market for its beauty and durability. That it was not used for Waterloo bridge instead of the far less durable Cornish stone, has been a frequent cause of regret.
Proceeding northward, the next tract of granite lies on the east coast of Sutherland, occupying a space of about eighteen miles on the shore, or near it, and reaching into the interior country to a point undefina ble for want of proper marks and references. This tract is entirely hilly, though not high, and is tolera bly uninterrupted as far as it extends, though re-ap pearing again in the interior in a few insulated out standing patches. It is nowhere wrought.