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The object of the examinations, here undertaken, is to 
explain some of the less obvious causes, and to trace them step 
by step to their effects, so that we may have reason to know, 
and be able to give some answer to the question—why this 
disintegration of granite which once was believed to be the 
most permanent and adamantine of all rocks. 
A casual circumstance led to a discussion and examination 
of the question, namely, the almost entire destruction by fire, 
in 1881, of the Parish Church of Newnham, in the County of 
Gloucester. This fine ancient building had been not long 
restored, and contained rows of columns of polished red granite, 
some 21 inches in diameter, which formed the arcades of the 
nave or body of the Church. After the fire was subdued, the 
pillars were left standing—mere wrecks of their former state, 
and ruthlessly destroyed. Fragments of the burnt granite 
obtained from the ruins of the Church were kindly given by the 
President of the Cotteswold Naturalists’ Society to the writer 
to examine and report on to the Society. This account he has 
ventured on presenting, and would apologise, if the scope of 
the investigation has not been strictly limited to the granite of 
the Newnham edifice, but has been extended to some other 
related rocks of granitoid character, and instances of their 
condition after exposure to elevated temperatures up to fusion- 
point, adduced, where possible. 
The particulars of this research may be conveniently placed 
in the following order :— 
I. Granires—(1) A description of the composition and 
character of the granite of Newnham Church as affording a 
good type or representative example of this class of rocks, 
known to petrographers as the Orthoclase-mica-quartz rocks. 
(2) The effects observed to have been produced in this 
granite after subjection to only a moderately high temperature, 
such as a low Black Red. The results being learned from 
experiment and examination both of hand specimens and 
preparations specially made for microscopic inspection. 
(3) Reference made to a natural specimen of burned. 
granite from a dyke in the island of Arran, which had been 
