Selections. 
[no. NEW SERIES, 
storms, the first of which happened about 1838 or 1839, the other 
about nine years ago. 
*' So far the evidence obtained might be supposed to favour the 
theory that this ferruginous mass'^had been discharged near to the 
blighted branch, and had penetrated downwards into the tree, to 
the position in which we now see it, charring and warping the wood 
immediately around it in its downward progress ; whilst in the six- 
teen years which have elapsed, the wood renovating itself, produc- 
ed the appearance which has so much interested the eminent bo- 
tanists who have examined it, viz. Mr. R. Brown, Dr. Lindley, Pro- 
fessor Henfrey, Dr. J. Hooker, and Mr. Bennet. 
"On the other hand, I must now point" out some features of this 
extraordinary case which check the belief in the included mass being 
a meteorite. 
" We found lying near the root of the tree two fragments, one 
of which is similar to the substance included in the tree, while the 
other is decidedly an iron slag. On bringing these fragments, 
weighing several pounds, to Jermyn Street, and on breaking one 
of them, it was found, like the supposed meteorite, to contain cer- 
tain small portions of metallic iron, in which both nickel and co- 
balt were also present ; and hence the scepticism which had pre- 
vailed from the beginning of the inquiry in the minds of some of 
my friends, was worked up into a definite shape. 
" The occurrence of stones enclosed in wood is not a novel phe- 
nomenon. Mr. Robert Brown has called my attention to two cases 
as recorded in the following words : — 
" De lapide in trunco betulse reperto. G. F. Richter in Acta 
Phys. Med. Acad. Nat. Curios, volume 3, page 66f 
" Descriptio Saxi in Quercu inventi. Kellander, Acta Literaria 
et Scientiee Suecise." 1739, pp. 502, 503. 
* The ferruginous mass is, it is supposed, about thirty pounds in weight ; but 
as one of its extremities is still imbedded in the wood, the precise weight cannot 
be stated. 
t " Lapis prjEdurus subalbicans et manifeste siliceus pruni ferme aut juglandis 
minoris magnitudine. * * * * Nidus ad figuram lapidis non plane accommodatus, 
sed quadrangulus, et hinc illinc in mediocres rimas desinens, corticeque imprimis 
notabili, non multum ab exteriori cute diverso, maximam partem vestitus." 
