17 



been found in the sandstones of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, 

 Lancashire, and, indeed, in all those parts in which the coal 

 formations have been explored. Having been favoured 

 with the opportunity of examining several specimens of this 

 nature, through the kindness of Thomas Botfield, Esq. of 

 Bewdley in Worcestershire, I am enabled to say, that these 

 are not generally the remains of trees, but of succulent 

 plants, the firm cortical parts of which having been con- 

 verted by the bituminizating process into jet, have formed 

 that firm tube which is often found, in these instances, filled 

 with sandstone, agreeing with that of the general matrix, 

 and possessing the space left by the waste of the internal 

 succulent part of the plant. The description of the last 

 announced fossil of this kind, found in the neighbourhood 

 of Glasgow, agrees exactly with the general account of 

 these supposed fossil trees, and will it is presumed, corro- 

 borate the opinion which has been just advanced. 



In a quarry of sandstone belonging to the coal formation 

 on which Glasgow is built, and in the neighbourhood of that 

 city, it is stated, that " the quarrymen came upon the cast 

 of a tree in situ just as it had been growing. The trunk is 

 about twenty-six inches in diameter, not quite round but 

 somewhat oval, so that the north and south diameter is 

 several inches longer than the east and west diameter. The 

 body of the tree itself is composed of sandstone precisely 

 similar to he 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 

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

 tree has been uncovered ; this portion is situated about 

 forty feet below the surface of the earth in a solid quarry of 

 sandstone. The upper part of the trunk and branches has 

 not been discovered : indeed, it is some time since the 

 upper portion of the quarry was removed. The roots may 

 be seen dipping down into the earth precisely as the roots 



D. 



