1820.] Scientific Intelligence. 389 



galls, which soon oxidize and decay, when the stone is exposed 

 to the weather. The deeper beds are light coloured, free from 

 iron galls, and constitute a very beautiful and very durable build- 

 ing stone. They are composed chiefly of grains of quartz, vary- 

 ing in size from that of very fine sand to that of a pigeon's egg. 

 These large grains are all rounded, and quite smooth on the 

 surface, so that no reasonable doubt can be entertained that 

 they have been all water worn. Casts of unknown species of 

 trees are very common in these quarries, as indeed is usually the 

 case in the sandstone )?elonging to the coal formation. 



About a month ago, in a quarry belonging to Mr. Lee, and 

 situated on the north side of Sauchyhall-street, and about a 

 quarter of a mile west from the road leading from Buchanan- 

 street to Port Dundas, the quarry men came upon the cast of a 

 tree in situ just as it had been growing. The trunk is about 26 

 inches in diameter, not quite round, but somewhat oval, in con- 

 sequence of the south side of the tree having grown more 

 rapidly than the other three sides ; so that the north and south 

 diameter is several inches longer than the east and west diame- 

 ter. The body of the tree itself is composed of sandstone, 

 precisely similar to the rest of the quarry. But the bark has 

 been converted into perfect cherry coal, which adheres firmly to 

 the tree, and renders it easy to remove the rock with which the 

 tree is incrusted. About three feet of the bottom part of the 

 tree has been uncovered. This portion is situated about 40 feet 

 below the surface of the earth in a solid quarry of sandstone. 

 The upper part of the trunk and branches has not been disco- 

 vered. Indeed it is some time since the upper portion of the 

 quany was removed. The roots may be seen dipping down into 

 the earth precisely as the roots of living trees do. Four very 

 large roots may be seen issuing from the trunks, and extending 

 some of them about a foot before they are lost in the surround- 

 ing stone. Indeed I have no doubt that were the requisite pains 

 taken, the whole roots might be exposed to a considerable 

 depth. 



There is nothing to indicate the species of tree of which the 

 mould has been here preserved. From the appearance of the 

 roots, it is obvious that it was not a fir. It had more resemblance 

 to a beech. The bark has been so completely bituminized that 

 its usual characters are effaced. The petrifaction, however, is 

 not without its value. It demonstrates that the sandstone has 

 been formed at a period posterior to the existence of large trees, 

 and that the water-worn appearance of the quartz pebbles of 

 which the sandstone is composed is not a deceitful indication, as 

 some geologists would persuade us that it is, but quite correct. 

 But if the sandstone, which constitutes so great a proportion of 

 the coal beds, be a formation posterior to the earth l)cing 

 covered with wood, we can entertain no doubt thai. Lliis is the 



