540 Geological Society. 



that portion of the Lancashire coal-field intersected by the railway. 

 They are all in a vertical position with respect to the ])lane of the 

 bed, which dips about 15° to the south; and they stand in a 

 straight line, though obliquely to the strike of the strata. The dis- 

 tance between the first and the last is about 100 feet, but the inter- 

 mediate trees are not equally distributed. The roots are imbedded 

 in a soft argillaceous shale ; and in the same plane with them is a 

 bed of coal 8 or 10 inches thick, which has been ascertained to 

 extend across the railway, or to the distance of at least 10 j^ards. 

 Just above the covering of the roots, yet beneath the coal-seam, so 

 large a quantity of Lepidostrohus variabilis was discovered enclosed 

 in nodules of hard clay, that more than a bushel was collected from 

 the small openings around the base of the trees. The trunks were 

 wholly enveloped by a coating of friable coal, varying from ^ to |- 

 of an inch in thickness; but it crumbled away on removing the 

 matrix. The internal casts of the trees consist of shale traversed 

 beneath the place of the bark by irregular longitudinal flutings less 

 than \ of an inch broad, and about 2 inches apart. These markings^ 

 however, are stated to be very irregular. Mr. Hawkshaw also 

 mentions indications of a waving, irregular, fibrous structure. The 

 dimensions of the trees are as follows : — 



Circumference. Height. 



No.'l, 15^ feet at the base, 7| feet at the top 11 feet. 



No.' 2,- ; 9 — 2i — 



No. 3, " 6 — 3 — 



No. 4, 6 — 5 — 



No. 5. 71 — 6 — 



No. 2 has three large spreading roots, nearly 4 feet in circumfe- 

 rence ; and they separate 5 or 6 feet from the trunk into 8 branches. 

 The roots of Nos. 3 and 4 extend apparently but a short distance ; 

 those of No. 5, as far as exposed, are five in number, 4 feet in cir- 

 cumference, solid and strong, and are presumed to extend to a con- 

 siderable distance. The position of No. 1 prevents its roots from 

 being exposed. 



Respecting the genus to which the fossils belonged, no positive 

 opinion is oflfered. 



The paper concludes with some observations on the disputed 

 question, whether the plants associated with coal, grew on the spots 

 where they have been found. Mr. Hawkshaw admits, that the ver- 

 tical position of trees does not prove that they had not been drifted : 

 but he conceives, from the experience which a residence in South 

 America has afforded him, that it is more difficult to suppose that 

 five drifted trees could be deposited erect in one spot, than that 

 they grew where they occur. 



Mr. Hawkshaw has not only prevented the trees from being re- 

 moved, but he has had them protected, as far as possible, from the 

 action of the weather. 



A paper was then read, entitled " A notice of some Organic 

 Remains recently discovered in the London Clay," by Nathaniel 

 Wetherell, Esq., F.G.S. 



