DAVIS: REMAINS OF FOSSIL TREES AT CLAYTON. 255 
' forest of large trees. In each instance the evidence shows that the 
trees grew and perished on the spot where the remains were found, 
their roots still fixed in the coal and shale which formed the humus in 
which they grew. Mr. J. S. Dawes (Quart. Journ. Geol. Society, vol. i. 
p. 46) furnished an account of a fossil tree found in the coal grit near 
Darlaston, South Stafi"ordshire. It was 44 feet in length, extended 
horizontally with several branching stems. The substance of the 
tree differs from the surrounding sandstone, being hard and fine 
grained and impregnated with iron. The author states that he has 
obtained some excellent sections of the wood " which show that the 
structure is remarkably perfect, and prove the tree to have been 
coniferous." It very rarely happens that the structure of trees 
found in sandstone or grit have any structure preserved, and this 
example is all the more remarkable on that account. At the Wads- 
ley Asylum the tree stumps already referred to were about 10 in 
number, in an area about 40 or 50 yards in length. The largest and 
best preserved specimen is about 5 feet in diameter, and, like the 
specimen at Clayton, its upper surface is a flat as if it had been cut 
across. It has eight large roots which, when they can be traced 
for a sufficient distance, are seen to bifurcate. The longest extension 
of the roots is about 6 feet, beyond which they are either hidden in 
the matrix or have been destroyed. In addition to the roots there 
are one or two prostrate trunks. The larger specimens are stated 
by Dr. Sorby to have eight roots; the smaller ones, probably imma- 
ture, being possessed of only four. A curious circumstance also 
noted as "one of the most interesting facts connected with these 
trees is the evidence they furnish with respect to the direction of the 
prevailing winds at the time they grew. A careful examination of 
the trees now gro™g on the exposed moorland hills of the district 
shows that when they are young the prevailing westerly gales often 
make them incline to the east; and in doing this, the roots on the 
west side are pulled straight and made to run more horizontally 
whilst those on the east side are pressed down and made more 
nearly vertical; and these characters remain permanently when the 
tree has gTOwn to a large size. Now this sort of diff"erence on difi'erent 
sides can be recognized more or less decidedly in the case of all the 
