the Fossil Trees found at St. Helenas. 24-3 



moved from it when the authors first saw it, so that when mea- 

 sured by them it was found to be only seven feet high. It 

 differed from the others in form, being tapering instead of cy- 

 lindrical. Fully one-half the tree was encased in the matrix^ 

 but sufficient was visible to give a correct idea of the nature 

 of the stem, the upper portion of which was covered by pretty 

 regular ribs, which were about two inches in breadth and se- 

 parated from each other by shallow and narrow furrows, par- 

 tially filled with coaly matter. The surface of the ribs was 

 covered with irregular longitudinal lines, and when viewed 

 through a lens showed distinct impressions of longitudinal 

 fibres: no traces of scars were however visible. 



The trunk was for the most part decorticated, but in some 

 places small patches of coaly bark were observable. The ribs 

 and furrows became more irregular and indistinct as they ap- 

 proached the base, and in the lower parts of the tree wholly 

 disappeared. At this part the stem presented a rugged and 

 gnarled appearance, much resembling the base of large and 

 old trees when deprived of their bark. 



At the base of the stem were found four roots, which seemed 

 to emanate from the tree in pairs. The two which issued im- 

 mediately from the most prominent portion of the base of the 

 tree, as seen when in part encased in its matrix, had been in 

 a great measure removed, only about eight inches remaining ; 

 but the two others were more perfect and larger, the one being 

 about fourteen inches and the other about two feet in length. 

 The workmen however affirmed that the roots were originally 

 considerably larger, and that they had extended fully nine feet 

 from the stem. All the roots were covered with bark, which 

 adhered to the matrix in which they were imbedded, so that 

 when cleared they always appeared decorticated. The surface 

 of the roots, when at any distance from the stem, was covered 

 with the corrugated lines and areolae, which are characteristic 

 of Stigmaria. From each of these areolae there issued a long, 

 generally compressed, black fibril, having in some cases traces 

 of a small internal cylinder. These fibrils were met with run- 

 ning in all directions through the indurated blue clay, and 

 some of which when measured exceeded three feet in length. 



Such is a description of the trees as seen in August 1843; 

 they remained in the same position from this period, protected, 

 by a perpendicular face of rock sufficiently high to prevent 

 access by ordinary ladders, from the vandalism which previ- 

 ously injured them; and by their mineral nature, which dif- 

 fered from the substance in which they were imbedded, being 

 a hard fine-grained grayish-brown sandstone, from the effects 

 of the atmosphere until the month of May 18415. During this 



R2 



