248 



Selections. 



[NO. 2, NEW SERIE3, 



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 ScientiaB SueciBe." 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. 



f " Lapis prsedurus subalbicans et manifeste siliceus pruni ferme aut juglandis 

 minoris magnitudine. * * * * Nidus ad figuram lapidis non plane accommodatus, 

 sed quadrangulus, et hinc illinc ia mediocres rimas desiuens, corticeque imprimii 

 notabili, non multum ab exteriori cute diverso, maximam partem veatitus." 



