20 Mr.Witham on the Vegetable Fossils found at Lennel Braes, 



recumbent fossil, whose class, genus, or species generally oc- 

 casioned much comment, and not a little hesitation. 



Since the introduction of the art of slicing the stems of these 

 fossil plants, the difficulty, which before appeared almost in- 

 surmountable, has been greatly removed ; and I take much 

 pride and pleasure in having recommended this method to the 

 York and Newcastle Philosophical and Natural History So- 

 cieties. The method is a beautiful one; and I think 1 do not 

 exaggerate in saying, that by it we are enabled at once to ob- 

 serve the internal structure of any monocotyledonous or di- 

 cotyledonous plant. It is a refinement in the art which opens 

 to view that which, from its antiquity and opacity, was before 

 hidden from the sight of man. It enables us to view those 

 early productions which for thousands of years have (when 

 by accident exposed) either been neglected, or represented as 

 something monstrous and absurd. 



In this position, amongst the members of the independent 

 coal-field, however, we have every reason to believe in a forest 

 of unknown extent, all apparently of the same genus, differing 

 altogether from the vascular cryptogamic plants. 



To what genus and species are we therefore to refer these 

 ancient remains of a former world ? 



They cannot be vascular cryptogamic plants, as they contain 

 decided woody texture from the centre of the stem. 



They cannot be monocotyledonous, the pith not forming 

 the greater part of the stem, and the woody parts not being 

 composed of fasciculi, which are disseminated throughout the 

 pithy texture of plants of that kind. 



They having, in my opinion, most decided medullary rays, 

 it would therefore appear to me that they must be classed 

 amongst the dicotyledonous plants. 



As such, therefore, after repeated and most minute micro- 

 scopic examinations and comparisons, not only with fossil but 

 with recent plants, I do not hesitate to class these numerous 

 fossil vegetable remains. 



Lastly: — By the above observations it appears therefore quite 

 clear, that the coal-measures to the south of the river Tweed 

 by no means terminate at or near the ancient boundary of the 

 two kingdoms, but approach within a short distance of the 

 transition range of the south of Scotland. 



The contorted and flattened shape of many of these ancient 

 stems is worthy of remark. Their external coatings are in- 

 variably carbonized : probably their present forms may have 

 been caused by extreme pressure when these vegetables were 

 in a state of decomposition; and subsequently it was, that 

 foreign substances, by percolation, look possession of the de- 

 cayed 



