22 Submarine Forest in Largo Bay, 



frequently interspersed, the remains of trees, particularly of 

 the birch, the hazel, and the alder. The nuts of the hazel, 

 were likewise observable. The roots of some of the trees 

 still occupied their original position, having grown on the 

 surface of the clay, and spread their branches among its 

 layers. I was able to trace the divisions of one of these roots, 

 belonging apparently to an alder, from the trunk, or rather 

 stump, to an extent of more than six feet ; and in three direc- 

 tions, into the clay which had thus originally served as a soil. 

 I may add^ that the clay at present affords a dwelling to the 

 Pholas Candida, which forms therein its vertical burrows, con- 

 fined, however, to those places from which the covering of 

 peat has been removed. The peat itself is penetrated by in- 

 numerable vertical cells, containing a spio, which is probably 

 undescribed, and may, for the present, be denominated Spio 

 emarginatus. So numerous are these small worms in some 

 places, that the peat, when broken across, seems to be com- 

 posed of living threads. Perhaps the clay and the peat may 

 have other inmates, but at the period of my visit, they hap- 

 pened to be greatly covered with sand, which prevented so 

 minute an inquiry as was desired. 



The phenomena presented by the series of strata now under 

 consideration, seem to render it probable that the subsoil, or 

 laminated brown clay, was derived from the neighbouring 

 rocks of the coal formation ; here remarkable, as already 

 noticed, for their peculiar brown colour. The matter thus 

 obtained, seems to have been conveyed into a lake, and there 

 deposited, not hurriedly, like diluvium, but at successive, though 

 irregular intervals. To this mode of fornaatioq may be re- 

 ferred the firmness of its ingredients, and their laminated, or 

 stratified arrangement. It appears equally probable, that the 

 waters of this lake were, to a certain extent, suddenly with- 

 drawn, so as to enable what may be denominated land 

 vegetation to commence. The change, indeed, appears to 

 have been accompanied by some disturbance, as the filni of 

 gravel distributed over the clay testifies. During the lapse of 

 a considerable period, the clay served as a soil, and supported 

 a forest of birch, alder, hazel, and perhaps other trees. These 

 at last shared the fate of many other ancient forests of Northern 

 Europe. Decay commenced, and the harbingers and pro- 



