182 



Scien tific Intelligence.-— Geology. 



GEOLOGY. 



% On the Imprint of the Feet of Animals upon Red Sand- 

 stone. — A geological phenomenon has just been observed in 

 Germany, which has much resemblance to one which was point- 

 ed out some years ago in Dumfriesshire in Scotland. * On the 

 inferior surface of a bed of freestone, at the depth of 15 and 18 

 feet, in many quarries of Weikersrode, near Hildburghausen, 

 have been observed inequalities or eminences which are evi- 

 dently owing to the impression of some one's step, and very pro- 

 bably to the feet of some amphibious animal. The traces both 

 of large and small animals are easily discovered, which appear to 

 have been going, sometimes in the same, and sometimes in con- 

 trary directions. Invariably the print of a large foot is suc- 

 ceeded by another of less dimensions. The larger, which are 

 about eight inches long, and four broad, have at first sight the 

 appearance of a human hand, in which the thumb was placed 

 very far back. Immediately underneath this freestone, is found 

 a thin bed of bluish clay of considerable consistency, and which, 

 without doubt, would receive, when still moist, the imprint of 

 the feet of those animals which walked upon it. This clay 

 would become hard whilst drying previous to the formation of the 

 bed of freestone, and, beyond question, it was in these kinds of 

 moulds that the impressions would be formed in relief, which 

 are observed on the lower side of the upper bed. On this same 

 lower side are also found a great many elevated furrows, cross- 

 ing in all directions, like the meshes of a net, and which, in all 

 probability, are owing to the cracks and fissures which would be 

 formed in the clay, on account of the contraction which the dry- 

 ing would produce. The discovery of this interesting fact is 

 due to Mr M. C. Barth of Hildburghausen, who first studied it 

 with attention, and communicated it to Messrs R. Bernhardi and 

 Gleichmann, who have recognised the closeness of the resem- 

 blances, and supplied the above as the most probable explana- 

 tion. They have also thought that this sandstone should in 

 consequence be referred to the new red, although its other 



* If the so-called foot-marks figured in the Transactions of the Royal So- 

 ciety of Edinburgh, are faithful representations of the appearances on the 

 surface of the sandstone, no one will hesitate in saying, whatever they may 

 be, they are not impressions of the feet of animals, 



