168 Mr. Binney on the remarkable Fossil Trees 



milar guesses, but to my knowledge their opinions received 

 little consideration, owing to their not being able to bring any 

 facts in support of them. 



The three fossil trees in the accompanying section, which 

 it is my intention to describe, were exposed to view during the 

 last summer in the White Grit Quarry belonging to Mr. Lit- 

 tler, at Scotch-row, near St. Helen's. They were met with in re- 

 moving the gray indurated silty clay, there known by the name 

 of * warren," a deposit nearly similar to many coal-floors, for 

 the purpose of working the sandstone lying under it. The 

 surface is covered with from six to eight feet of brownish co- 

 loured till, under which the warren containing the fossil trees 

 occurs. This latter deposit was exposed about seven yards 

 in thickness, and the white grit lying under the workmen in- 

 formed me was ten yards thick. The inclination of the strata 

 is to the east at an angle of about 23°. All the trees were at 

 right angles to the strata, and stood in a line nearly north and 

 south, about eight feet six inches above the grit rock, and con- 

 tinued upwards until cut off by the till. 



Section of Mr. Littler's Quarry, near St. Helen's. 

 Surface. 



Note. — This imperfect sketch is intended to give 'the reader merely an 

 idea of the position of the trees, and not to show their external characters. 



The strata in which the fossils are met with occupy the 



