THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



26$ 



As a rule, the impression is almost the same 

 color as the surrounding stone, while the 

 fossil is considerably darker. In the case of 

 a valuable specimen, it is desirable to pre- 

 serve both the impression and the true 

 remains, from the former of which a cast can 

 be taken in Plaster-of-Paris, and coloured by 

 hand. The two besc places for fossils and 

 rocks about Liverpool are Stourton Sandstone 

 Quarries and the Huyton Coal Measures. 



The Stourton quarries are hewn out of the 

 Forest, and yield the fine white Bunter- 

 Sandstein, so much valued for building pur- 

 poses. In Stourton woods there is abundant 

 occupation for the entomologist, botanist, 

 geologist, and artist. Some of the old dis- 

 used quarries that riddle the wood in every 

 direction, are mines of wealth to the beginner 

 in entomology, while the firs yield some good 

 lepidoptera. T. piniperda is abundant here 

 some seasons. The enthusiastic ant-observer 

 could spend weeks in Stourton Woods in 

 the pursuit of his favourite study, for in some 

 parts, one can scarcely turn over a stone 

 without finding a Formical Colony beneath. 

 Many of the common coleoptera, such as G, 

 stercorarius, C. viotaceus, P. striola, C. melano- 

 cephalus, N . palnotris, M. pi'oscarabceus, 0. olens 

 (in the lanes) are plentiful. 



But to return. The Bunter Flagstones of 

 Stourton Quarries yield magnificent foot- 

 prints of the Labyrinthodon (Cheirotherium), 

 in company with ripple marks, bird tracks, 

 and others. The quarry men are well aware 

 of the value set upon these footprints by 

 geologists, and therefore carefully preserve 

 them. A party of fossil hunters, of whom I 

 formed one, purchased five footprints in two 

 slabs for, I think, the sum of 2s. 6d. A visit 

 to Huyton Coal Quarries will well repay the 

 geologist. Booking himself from Lime Street 

 or Edge Hill, the train sets him down at 

 Huyton Quarry Station. From this spot the 

 wheels used as pulleys for lowering the 

 cages, can be seen at a short distance. 

 Those quarries situated on the left-hand side 

 of the station are most productive. On ar- 



J riving there, he will find that there is a rail- 

 \ road running past them, the lines being laid 

 1 upon an embankment formed of a light grey 

 ! shaly rock. This is coal-shale, and here 

 ; must be the scene of his labours. 



Splitting the shale in the manner before 

 ; described, layers and layers of antediluvian 

 ; plant-life will be exposed. 



The following plants will be found in pro- 

 \ fusion : — Pecopteris, Neuropteris, Catamites, Stig- 

 I maria, Lepidostrobus, Lepidodcndron, and Sigil- 

 laria. 



The Calamite stems are usually found 

 | flattened. I have also found fish scales (?), 

 Anthracosia (a fresh-water shell), and Astero- 

 phyllites, besides many others too numerous 

 to mention. 



In breaking the shale, oval masses of a 

 reddish-brown color will be seen. These are 

 termed Clay-Iron-Stones, and when carefully 

 ! broken, often exhibit fossil remains in great 

 perfection. The Lepidostrobus will be often 

 met with. They also yield insect remains, 

 Great care must be taken in carrying home 

 these shale fossils. Each specimen should 

 : be carefully wrapped in wool, tow, or thick 

 j soft paper, and packed in a basket. If this 

 I precaution be not attended to, many will be 

 j rubbed to atoms by the time they are got 

 home. Above all, never wash them. When 

 I first began, I collected a lot of these coal- 

 shale remains, which, through neglect, got 

 very dirty. So I decided to give them a 

 bath, and forthwith used a sponge and water 

 freely. After wiping them, I left them on a 

 table to dry. A few hours after when I came 

 to remove my treasures, I discovered that 

 they were things of the past. The water had 

 penetrated the soft shale, and expanding in 

 drying, had smashed the specimen to bits. 

 In fact fossils should never be washed, but 

 dusted with a soft tooth brush. Some speci- 

 mens will not even permit this, being covered 

 with a light powder that considerably adds to 

 their beauty, and which the brush is certain 

 to remove. 



(To bi continued.) 



