488 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



Two or three weeks ago the workmen at Storton-hill Quarry, situated about 

 four miles south-west of the Mersey, discovered a large slab of Sandstone, thirty- 

 five feet below the surface of the ground, having upon its lower face a number of 

 casts of feet in high relief, and in a beautiful state of preservation. Several of 

 these have a very close resemblance to the palm of the human hand, and were 

 at first taken by the workmen for casts of that organ. Two sets of feet are 

 visible along the slab and running in the same straight line. One of these sets 

 consists of highly-relieved casts of the hind feet of the animal, and the other of those 

 of the fore feet. The hind feet are nearly nine inches in length by about four in 

 breadth across the toes, and the smaller four inches long and about the same in 

 breadth. The hind feet are plantigrade, and consist of four strong toes, with 

 short stout conical claws on each, and a large thumb bent backward, and appar- 

 ently without a claw. The toes are rather less than one-half the length of the 

 foot, and the sole appears to have been as well covered with soft parts as a 

 thick hand ; and, from the strong marks of muscular development it presents, was 

 evidently intended for grasping. The round muscular prominence at the root of 

 the thumb is very large, as well as that at the root of the fourth toe. The toes 

 appear each to have been formed of three phalanges ; and they, as well as the 

 whole sole of the foot, appear to have been covered with a rugose skin, the folds 

 of which are distinctly visible in one of the casts. The fore feet are small in 

 proportion to the hind ones. They are plantigrade, and consist of five separate 

 toes, apparently armed with short claws. The length of the step of the animal 

 has been twenty-two inches, which is the distance between the casts ; and in 

 walking the hind feet have come close up to the fore. 



We have said that these casts were found thirty-five feet below the surface of 

 the Sandstone. At that depth there exists a thin bed of steatitic clay, varying 

 from the smallest thickness to about one inch and a half. This bed is of con- 

 siderable extent, and dips towards the Mersey, at an inclination of about one foot 

 in ten, and it runs downwards under that part of the rock that has not been 

 quarried hitherto. It appears to have occupied a tract frequented by several 

 kinds of animals, and to have, in consequence, received the impressions of their 

 feet. These impressions have become filled up with sand, which has been subse- 

 quently indurated; and it is the casts taken from these footmarks which are now 

 visible on the slab of stone presented to the Society. The size of the slab, which 

 has been lifted off the clay, is very considerable ; it is sixteen feet long by four 

 feet in breadth, and four inches thick ; and the track of one animal is visible over 

 its whole length, in a straight line ; and in walking the animal has crossed the 

 feet over each other about three inches. This large slab has been broken into 

 three pieces ; but there is one of these above seven feet long. 



Besides the track alluded to there are casts of the feet of other animals, appar- 



