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road side dip at a sharp angle. On the top of the hill, from some 

 stone heaps, several characteristic Caradoc fossils were found, 

 amongst them Calymene punctata, Staurocephalus Murchisoni, 

 Tentaculites annulatus, Orthis elegantnla, Holopella, Petraia, 

 &c. Turning to the left, the fine Spanish chesnut in the garden 

 of the old Rectory house was visited, supposed to be the oldest in 

 the kingdom, and to measure 52 feet in girth (47 was the measure- 

 ment roughly made by two of the members). This tree was 

 mentioned as a boundary tree in the reign of King John, and is 

 supposed to have been growing since the time of Egbert. 

 Crossing the old red sandstone, and ascending the hill to 

 Tortworth Lodge, the Carboniferous shales and limestone were 

 successively traversed and in the Park several fine Wellingtouias 

 and Araucarias flourish. Permission having been courteously 

 granted, the members visited the Geological Museum, which 

 contains many good specimens of the local fossils, the value of 

 which would however be much enhanced were they more carefully 

 arranged and named. Before arriving at the station on the right 

 of the road inspection was made of another old trap quarry, 

 remarkable for its extremely vesicular nature, abounding with 

 amygdaloidal cavities containing crystals, and very nodular. A 

 good plain dinner was partaken of at the Inn adjoining the 

 Station. 



Excursion to Radstock and descent into the Coal Pits. 

 Mr. McMurtrie, of Radstock, having kindly off"ered to illustrate 

 his paper on the " Faults and Contortions of the Somersetshire 

 Coal Field," read before the Club during the winter evening 

 meetings, by a visit to one of his coal pits, a limited number of 

 members, with their friends, availed themselves of the opportunity 

 on Tuesday, July 20. A break started from the Institution 

 sufficiently early to allow the party to be ready at the mouth of 

 the " Tyning" pit properly equipped for their descent mix enfers at 

 11 a.m. Some large and admirably executed plans had previously 

 been shown at Mr. McMurtrie's residence, and by their aid the 

 strata through which the shafts are sunk and the various coal 

 veins, faults, and disturbances were clearly indicated, also the 

 underground route which was about to be followed. The sensation 



