33 6 



NOTE — PALEONTOLOGY. 



to what it does now. Mr. Hardcastle, President of the Leeds 

 Geological Association, standing appropriately under the shadow of 

 the mighty block, reviewed all these facts in a short address, and 

 stated the result of the examination — viz., that the stone is not a true 

 erratic, as that term is understood, but that it is a portion of the 

 strata of Rough Rock which originally covered these moors. 



With respect to the solution of the ' Hitchingstone ' problem, as 

 narrated above, Mr. Adamson informs us that he has received the 

 following opinion of the investigation from Dr. Crosskey, the Secretary 

 to the Boulder Committee of the British Association : — ' Many thanks 

 for the very valuable account of the examination of the Hitchingstone. 

 The conclusion arrived at seems to me justified by the facts narrated, 

 and the dignity of a " Boulder " will have to be taken away from the 

 famous Hitchingstone.' — Eds. 



NO TE — PALsE ONTOL O G Y. 

 Discovery of the base of another large Fossil Tree.— Yorkshire 



quarry owners seem now to be thoroughly on the qui vive for fossil trees, for I 

 have had a second example of some colossal fossil roots reported to me, and along 

 with my friends, Messrs. C. Brownridge, F.G.S., and Hoffman Wood, F.G.S., 

 have visited the scene of the discovery. This is again at the Fall Top Quarry, Clayton, 

 but in a part worked by Messrs. Briggs and Shepherd. They have only partially 

 bared it, further progress being at a standstill until a road is diverted. Being in 

 near proximity to the former example of Messrs. Murgatroyd's, it is. of course, in 

 the same geological horizon, viz., in the measures between the Better Bed Coal and 

 the Elland Flagstone. In order that a comparison might be instituted between 

 this and the former discovery, the following measurements of the roots now exposed 

 were carefully made by the gentlemen above-named. The diameter of the area at 

 present bared is from N. to S. 20 ft., and from E. to W. 22 ft. 4 in., or a superficial 

 area of 446 ft. The base of the stump is irregular in shape, but approximately 

 circular with an average diameter of 3 ft. 11 in. There are eight roots again in 

 this example, some not yet bared very far, and all those exposed are broken at 

 their extremities ; beginning with the roots on the south we have 



Root. 



Diameter 



Distance from 



Distance from point of bifurcation to 



Present 



close 



stump to point 



present termination of root. 



length of root 



No. 



to stump. 



of bifurcation. 



Right Fork. 



- Left Fork. 



Exposed. 





20 in. 



... 6 ft. 



. 2 ft. 3 in. 



... 2 ft. 6 in. ... 



8 ft. 6 in. 



2 ... 



2Q| ,, 



... 7 ,, 6 in. . 



• 1 „ 9 „ 



.... 2 „ 6 „ ... 



10 ,, 



3 ••• 



19" „ 



... 7 „ 6 „ .. 



■ 6 „ 



... 8 „ 6 „ ... 



16 ,, 



4 ... 



17* 



... 8„ 



. 7 ,, 6 in. 



... 7 ,, 6 ,, 



15 ,, 6 in. 



5 - 



20 ,, 



... 7 „ 



• 3 " 



... — 3 „ ... 



10 if 



6 ... 



18 „ 



... 7,, 



• 4 „ 



... 1 „ 9 „ ... 





7 ••• 



20 ,, 



... 7 „ 



Not bared 



7 » 



8 ... 



2Qj „ 



...Partially bared 







5 ,, 6 in. 



The stump is almost entirely denuded away, as at the utmost some 12 or 15 inches 

 only can be said to be left of it. There are many broken pieces of stigmaria laid 

 about in various places, but we Were informed they did not all belong to the tree 

 in question, and as they were thus mixed it would be quite unreliable to attempt 

 to restore the roots to their original length. Although most certainly this is a 

 magnificent specimen, yet after careful comparison and due consideration of all 

 points, we did not consider it as fine an example as the one previously discovered 



by Messrs. Murgatroyd.— S. A. Adamson, October 13th, 1886. 



Naturalist, 



