Gazetteer of Scotland

xii INTRODUCTION.
fome of them of great beauty and value. Chalcedony is found in Fife, equal
in hardnefs and water to the oriental. Moft of the northern and fouthern
mountains are compofed of granite : that of Betinevis is faid to be equally
beautiful with the Egyptian. At Portfoy is found that lingular kind of gra-
nite called Mofes' Tables, which, when polifhed, refembles the Hebrew cha-
racters, on a white ground. Befide^ thefe, there are innumerable rare and
curious foffils; to enumerate which, would alone make a long article.* Before
we leave this article, we nay mention the frequent marks of volcanic fire
whi^ 1 - many of the mountains exhibit, particularly the bafaltic columns of
Staffa, the mountains near Beregonium in Argyllfhire, &c.
MINERAL WATERS.
In a country fo abounding with metallic ores, many of the fprings mufl
neceffarily have a mineral impregnation. The chalybeate fprings are almoft
innumerable ; particularly at Moffat, Peterhead, Dunfe, Aberbrothock, &c.
Sulphureous fprings are alfo found at Moffat, and at St. Bernard's Well near
Edinburgh. Many of the fprings affo hold fbme neutral fait diflolved ; e. g»
at Pitcaithly. Wherever the fpring proceeds from a bed of limeftone, it ac-
quires a petrifying property, of which there are numerous examples, at the
Dropping-Cave of Slains in Aberdeen/hire, and in many places in Lanark
and Ayrfhires, Sec.
ANIMALS, &c.
The wild animals of Scotland are the fox, the badger, the otter, the Hag,
the wild roe, the hare, and the rabbit ; the wild-cat, the hedge-hog, the
weafel, the mole, and other frnall quadrupeds. But there is proof that fome
others have been inhabitants of the country, which are now extinguished ;
viz. the bifon or wild ex, the wolf, and the beaver. The domeftic animals
are the fame as thofe of England ; but the native breed of black cattle and
iheep is confiderably different, being much fmaller in fize, and reputed to af-
ford more delicious food. As one of the domeftic animals peculiar to Scot-
* For further particulars concerning the mineralogy of Scotland, we refer
the reader to the Gazetteer, where particular notice is taken of every arti-
cle under the name of the place where it is found ; and, for more full inform-
ation, to Jamiefon's Mineralogy of the Scottifh ifles ; Williams's Mineralogy,
of Scotland; and Travels in Scotland, &c, by Mons. Faujas de St. Fonda