256 
DAVIS: REMAINS OF FOSSIL TREES AT CLAYTON. 
stumps seen in the Wadsley fossil forest, but is especially well-marked 
in the largest and best preserved specimens; and it appears to me a 
very interesting fact that the direction of the prevailing high winds 
at the carboniferous period thus indicated is almost exactly the same 
as that at the present period, as shown by the same facts seen in trees 
now growing in the neighbourhood." 
Some years ago, during the excavations in making the G.N. line 
of railway from Halifax to Bradford, the trunk and roots of a fossil 
tree were discovered near Queensbary, at a much lower level than the 
Fall Top Quarries, but on the same horizon, the strata being thrown 
down by a fault. The specimen is very perfect; it was carefully exca- 
vated, and presented by the Engineer, Mr. Frazer, to the Yorkshire 
College, at Leeds, where it may now be seen. It is smaller than the 
specimen now photographed, and the roots do not extend greatly 
beyond the diameter of the trunk: they exhibit, however, very clearly 
the quadrate division of the base of the trunk into roots, which 
extend from it almost horizontally. The larger example, recently 
discovered, had also four principal roots, but the bifurcation of some 
of these is so rapid as to give the appearauce of a larger number. It 
ajDpears probable from a study of these specimens conjointly that the 
initial roots formed a series of four and that the more aged or larger 
grown specimens the roots increased in number by bifurcating. 
Since the photograph was taken a second example has been 
found at Clayton, in another quarry closely adjoining, which is larger 
than the first. The specimen photographed has been purchased by 
Prof. W. C. Williamson, F.R.S., and removed to Owen's College, 
Manchester. 
