393 



some have relied on Caesar's account, and have believed that at the 

 time of his visiting this island no fir-trees grew here, others have 

 supposed that they have been subverted, with the vast forests, 

 which were filled by the Roman soldiery ; and others report that 

 the remains of considerable forests of this tree have been seen 

 within the memory of man. But their subversion, most probably, 

 took place, at an epoch much more distant than that of the in- 

 vasion of this island by Julius Caesar. 



A specimen of the petrified larch-tree (Laricites), from Mount 

 Krappe, in Hungary, is represented at Plate II. Fig 6., purchased 

 by Mr. Strange, from the Butean collection. Plate II. Fig. 8. repre- 

 sents a specimen of petrified hazel (Corylites), described, in the 

 Butean catalogue, as from the Kiesengeberg in Bohemia. The 

 petrified oak (Dryites) is said to be very frequently found ; it pos- 

 sesses a darker hue than the recent wood : a specimen, from the 

 neighbourhood of Vienna, bears strong characters of its original 

 state. The same observation applies to a specimen of the ash 

 (Melites) ; of the petrified alder (Chtrites), from Bohemia; and 

 of the box-tree (Bucites), also from Bohemia. The fossil wood 

 of the beech-tree (Onytites Syssites, vel PhcgitesJ, of the laurel 

 (Daphnites), of the sandal-tree (Sandalites), of the willow (Sali- 

 cites), of the mulberry-tree (Moricites), of the vine (Vitites), and 

 several others, have been described by different authors. But ima- 

 gination, in many instances, has so much assisted conjecture, re- 

 specting the kind of tree from which the fossil wood has originated, 

 that opinions respecting this circumstance should be received with 

 great caution; since very frequently the supposed resemblance is 

 founded on colour, and on direction of fibres, which may have un- 

 dergone considerable changes, and have even owed those particular 

 appearances, to the influence of circumstances dependent on a sub- 

 terranean situation. Whilst in some their vague and indistinct marks 

 are insufficient to allow of any opinion being adopted, respecting 



VOL. i. 3 E 



