FOSSIL FOOTSTEPS. 261 
shire may be seen by reference to PL 26. They 
traverse the rock in a direction either up or 
down, and not across the surfaces of the strata, 
which are now inclined at an angle of 38^ On 
one slab there are twenty-four continuous im- 
pressions of feet, forming a regular track, with 
six distinct repetitions of the mark of each foot, 
the fore-foot being differently shaped from the 
hind-foot ; the marks of claws are also very 
distinct.* 
Although these footsteps are thus abundant in 
the extensive quarries of Corn Cockle Muir, no 
trace whatever has been found of any portion 
of the bones of the animals whose feet they re- 
present. This circumstance may perhaps be 
explained by the nature of the siliceous sand- 
stone having been unfavourable to the preser- 
vation of organic remains. The conditions which 
would admit of the entire obliteration of bones. 
* 
On comparing some of these impressions with the tracks which 
I caused to be made on soft sand, and clay, and upon unbaked 
pie-crust, by a living Emys and Testudo Grseca, I found the 
correspondence with the latter sufficiently close, allowing for 
difference of species, to render it highly probable that the fossil 
footsteps were also impressed by the feet of land Tortoises. 
In the bed of the Sapey and Whelpley brooks near Tenbury, 
circular markings occur in the Old Red Sandstone, which are 
referred by the natives to the tracks of Horses, and the impres- 
sions of Patten-rings, and a legendary tale has been applied to 
explain their history. They are caused by concretions of Marl- 
stone and Iron, disposed in spherical cases around a solid core of 
sandstone, and intersected by these water courses. 
