The Flora of the Inferior Oolite of Brora (Sutherland)

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Abstract
The object of this paper is to place on record the discovery of a bed containing plant-impressions in the Oolites of Brora in Sutherland, which represent a flora bearing a strong likeness to that of the Inferior Oolites of the Yorkshire coast, and to give a short description of the Scottish plants. In Prof. Judd's (73) classic memoir on the Secondary rocks of Scotland, the description given of the district round Brora in Sutherland shows that it is the most favourable locality for studying the Secondary formations of the country. Near the little town of Brora the beds are well exposed, and are of economic importance on account of the workable coal and building-stone which they supply. It is not necessary to point out how little there is left in Scotland of the rocks of Oolitic age. Notwithstanding its inaccessibility, the Brora district had been referred to by geologists even before the time of Murchison, the coal-pit having been first sunk in the Oolitic coal in 1598 by the Countess of Sutherland. Repeated borings have been made since, and the mine, although stopped down in the early part, of the nineteenth century, is at present again in active work. This practically unique case of an extensive coal-mine in the Oolites has attracted the attention of geologists, yet remarkably little is to be found in the literature about the fossil-plants of the coal-bearing beds. In a paper by Hugh Miller (62) in his well-known book, some plant-impressions are mentioned, but most

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