1 
that portion of the Lancashire coal-field intersected by the railway. 
They are all in a vertical position with respect to the plane of the 
bed, which dips about 15° to the south; and they stand in a 
straight line, though obliquely to the strike of the strata. The dis- 
tance between the first and the last is about 100 feet, but the inter- 
mediate trees are not equally distributed. ‘The roots are imbedded 
in a soft argillaceous shale; and in the same plane with them is a 
bed of coal 8 or 10 inches thick, which has been ascertained to 
extend across the railway, or to the distance of at least 10 yards. 
Just above the covering of the roots, yet beneath the coal-seam, so 
large a quantity of Lepidostrobus variabilis was discovered enclosed 
in nodules of hard clay, that more than a bushel was collected from 
the small openings around the base of the trees. ‘The trunks were 
wholly enveloped by a coating of friable coal, varying from 4 to 
of an inch in thickness; but it crumbled away on removing the 
matrix. The internal casts of the trees consist of shale traversed 
beneath the place of the bark by irregular longitudinal flutings less 
than 4 of an inch broad, and about 2 inches apart. These markings, 
however, are stated to be very irregular. Mr. Hawkshaw also 
mentions indications of a waving, irregular, fibrous structure. The 
dimensions of the trees are as follows: 
Circumference. Height. 
No. 1, 154 feet at the base, 74 feet at the top...... 11 feet. 
DOA ni ie aera i cyt emcee nudge els 25 — 
IN GEC Gis eaeer. S cia a ea Cana eaten ete tones ran erne tia tae 3 
INA hE see Se Beas ey Catemeepe te ate 5 — 
IONS SAT bom ice cn vue sree uate mee oersiete er: renee 6 — 
No. 2 has three large spreading roots, nearly 4 feet in circumfe- 
rence; and they separate 5 or 6 feet from the trunk into 8 branches. 
The roots of Nos. 3 and 4 extend apparently but a short distance ; 
those of No. 5, as far as exposed, are five in number, 4 feet in cir- 
cumference, solid and strong, and are presumed to extend to a con- 
siderable distance. ‘The position of No. 1 prevents its roots from 
being exposed. 
Respecting the genus to which the fossils belonged, no positive 
opinion is offered. 
The paper concludes with some observations on the disputed 
question, whether the plants associated with coal, grew on the spots 
where they have been found. Mr. Hawkshaw adiits, that the ver- 
tical position of trees does not prove that they had not been drifted : 
but he conceives, from the experience which a residence in South 
America has afforded him, that it is more difficult to suppose that 
five drifted trees could be deposited erect in one spot, than that 
they grew where they occur. 
Mr. Hawkshaw has not only prevented the trees from being re- 
moved, but he has had them protected, as far as possible, from the 
action of the weather. 
A paper was then read, entitled «‘A notice of some Organic 
