412 
I also found abundant ripple marks of a breadth and size 
which showed that they were formed in shallow water. 
From the recurrence of the tracks upon all the laminae 
that I examined, being several feet in thickness, and from the 
form of the foot-prints, I concluded that this was, probably, 
once a still sequestered spot, occupied during a long period 
by a family of small gregarious reptiles. The upper sur- 
faces of the stones contained indented marks, and the lower 
reliefs : the slabs vary in thickness from three quarters of an 
inch to two and-a-half inches ; they appear to be highly com- 
pressed, and are hard and brittle ; the stone is a greyish 
brown, fine, quartzose sandstone, laminated, — containing 
some scales of mica, and lies near the surface. The dip 
must be nearly 40° E. 
At that time I felt considerable diffidence on the subject of 
proclaiming a new fact in the science of geology, and there- 
fore contented myself with keeping only the small specimen 
which I now produce, containing one foot-print. (No. I.) 
I determined, however, to examine the rocks in this neigh- 
bourhood, and endeavour to find similar phenomena. I have 
not laboured without some success. 
In September, 1839, during the excavation of the new 
coal pit, near the canal basin, in this town, and when the 
shaft was sunk to the depth of 270 feet, I discovered among 
some masses of fine grey quartzose sandstone, specimens con- 
taining impressions of foot-prints, (No. 2.) The surface was 
uneven, as though the water, at the time of its deposition, 
had been violently agitated. The hollows were filled with 
marl, which, being cleared away, disclosed, upon the largest 
stone eight continuous impressions of the hind feet of some 
small animal, deeply marked ; the fore feet not being so dis- 
tinct, but still perceptible. They show a stride of about an 
inch and a half distance, and, like those previously described, 
traverse the rock mostly in a direction either up or down the 
