Vegetation of the First Period of an Ancient World 1 15 



A deposit of limestone also occurs at Haiton near East Caldcr, con- 

 taining terrestrial vegetable impressions- 



I now take the opportunity of introducing an account of diat fossil 

 member of early vegetation, discovered in the year 1826 in die 

 quarry of Craiglieth. The lengdi of time which has been allowed 

 to elapse, witliout attempting to obtain die necessary information re- 

 specting diis singular plant j, add to that, the peculiarity of its struc- 

 ture and composidon, has induced me to take much pains upon this 

 2>oint. I therefore laid a well cut transverse, and also longitudinal 

 section of this fossil tree, before Mr. Ilincks, Botanical Curator to 

 tlie Philosophical Society of York. His opinion is, that it is a mo- 

 nocotyledonous plant j as a pithy substance fills up the interstices be- 

 tween the vessels, and that there has been no bark or concentric ar- 

 rangement of layers. He also observes a striking resemblance to 

 certainly monocotyledonous stems, which he lias before examined. 

 On tlie whole, Mr. Hincks says, *^ having made the examination of 

 diis curious specimen, submitted to me with the greatest care, I can 

 scarcely admit of a doubt upon the subject. 



The internal structure, its singular color, when contrasted with die 

 block of sandstone in which it was found, induced me to request my 

 friend Mr. Nicol to analyze it, the following was the result : 



60 per cent, of carbonate of lime. 



18 per cent, of oxide of iron. 



10 per cent, of alumine. 

 9 per cent, of carbonaceous matter. 



The height of this gigandc plant was thirty six feet, direc feet 

 diameter at Its base, and lying in nearly horizontal position, corres- 

 ponding with the dip. No branches were found. 



This, therefore, with a few odiers I could here mentlouj and which 

 I trust will ere long be submitted to your consideration, form but tri- 

 fling exceptions to the general distribution of early vegetation. 



Thus in these great coal fields, (exclusive of the many varicues 

 of plants found in the bituminous shales, which I am happy to say 

 will shortly be submitted to the public in a work entlded the Fossil 

 Flora of Great Britain, bv Mr. Lindley, Professor of Botany in die 



??* 



Since writing this paper, I have received a kind communication from Mr. A. 

 Brongniart, through Mr. Piulips of York, to the following effect,—" Please to in- 

 form Mr. Witham I have reecived his specimen of the Craiglieth fos^^il plant. It 

 has much surprised and interested rae. Having had so little time for examination, I 

 cannot now give a final, but only a conditional opinion. It i:^, that 1 believe it to be 

 a section of a mwiocotyledonous plant." 



