NOTES AND QUERIES. 



495 



They \7ere found in a compact blue claj about twenty feet fr om the surface, and 

 are in excellent preservation. These are now in my possession. Each horn has 

 seven antlers, and the following are the dimensions — viz., length of horn tln-ee 

 feet ten inches ; length of the bottom antlers thirteen inches ; width between the 

 top of the horns three feet two mches ; ch'cumference of the horn nine inches ; 

 circumference of the bottom antlers five inches ; width between the top antlers 

 on each horn fifteen inches ; widtli of the skull eight inches ; weight of the horns 

 twelve and a -half pounds. If either you or any of your readers can give any 

 information respecting them or the animal to which tliey belonged, it will much 

 oblige youi's, &c., Wm. Gordon, Gatehouse. 



Coal at Murree on Punjab Railway. — A few weeks ago a "Heport," 

 accompanied by a number of illustrative geolo^-ical plans and sections, was for- 

 warded to the Government from the Punjab Eailway, upon the discovery of coal 

 and h'on at Duntelle and Mohara, by Mr. Calvert, C.E. and P.G.S., one of the 

 Staff, who brought down large blocks of coal from thence. But, it is said, the 

 mountainous character of the district, and its being within the domhiion of 

 the Maharaja of Cashmere, who asked an exhorlDitant "E.oyalty," or tax 

 on it, induced the company to abandon fiuiher search, although Mr. Calvert 

 entertained opinion of a successful result. — " Lahore Chronicle," Sept. 

 10, 1S59. 



. Pitted Surface of Magnesian Limestone. — Sir, — I have just returned 

 from a visit to Roche Abbey, in this county (Yorkshire), and as I usually 

 examine the rocks and quarries whenever I have an opportunity wherever I go, 

 I was much surprised to find the l);'ds in that locality, which I tliiuk are mostly 

 magnesian limestone, marked by indentations in hivers every tvv'o or three feet 

 by what a])peared to be rain-drops. I had often read of such markings in some 

 localities, but hitherto had never met with them. I at first thouglit it might 

 be the effect of crystallization, but had this been the case, it would have per- 

 vaded the whole mass of rock, whereas it was oidy in layers. If I am right in 

 attributing it to rain-di'ops, the limestone must have been in a state of soft mud 

 at the time, and exposed to the surface, for the markings are so deep and abun- 

 dant as to form a very striking feature, and large slabs of five or ten feet 

 square, or perhaps fifty or sixty might be had. I have frequently sought for 

 fossils in this limestone, and almost in vain ; but I felt much interest in this 

 phenomenon. I enclose you a small piece for your inspection. — G.W., Wakefield, 

 — The rougldy-pitted surface of the limestone alluded to is due to weathering, 

 or to the percolation of water between layers of the rock. Many limestones 

 and marbles exliibit surfaces more or less fretted or eaten into in this way ; and 

 the mesh-lilce arrangement of the cavities is perhaps due to the destructive 

 agenc;y of Avater removing some softer atoms at different spots, each of which 

 latter becomes a centre of further chemical operations, and is separated from 

 the neighbourmg pits by less destroyed ridges. 



Anthracite and Iron. — Sir, — Taking advantage of the monthly "Notes 

 and Queries" in the " Geologist," I beg to trouble you with the two follomng 

 questions. 



Pirst : In reading lately a geological work on Coal, the autlior, after stating 

 its vegetable origin and describing the various kinds of coal, mentioned Anthra- 

 cite, which I suppose means Cannel-coal, and stated that Anthracite was black- 

 coal buried deeper in the earth, was more mineralized, and, in consequence of 

 its contiguity to some volcanic rock, had lost its pitch. If this be the origin 

 of Cannel-coal it does not seem to solve my question ; for here we have, at one 

 hundred and twenty yards from the surface a bed of two feet of good " house- 

 coal, eighteen-inches of dirt, then a foot of "engme-coal;" forty yards higher a 

 bed of good "house-coal" twenty -six inches thick; twelve yards higher 

 "engine-coal," eighteen inches thick; dirt six inches; " drossy" -coal three 



