106 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
the last, and at a similar inclination of 60° to the horizon, but 
where the clip of the rocky strata is 38°; and it must have been 
covered with at least 180 feet of the very hard Craigleith sand - 
stone. 
So much of the lowest visible part of No. 5 is uncovered, that its 
girth may be safely estimated at nearly 10 feet; but at 11 feet 
higher up it swells out, like some rugged old elms, and must 
measure considerably more.* The girth of No. 6, in the bottom of 
the quarry, is very nearly 9 feet. These are much greater trunks 
than Mr Witham’s of 1830, which, at 12 feet from its root, now 
measures 27 inches by 17. It is considerably flattened along its 
whole length; but No. 4, at Barnton House, is comparatively little 
flattened; and those now visible in the quarry seem scarcely flattened 
at all. 
The woody structure of the trees has been more or less perfectly 
preserved in all of these fossils. There is nothing under this head 
to alter in the description and delineations by Witliam of the 
fossil found in 1830, and little to add. Many portions present 
little remains of vegetable structure, and others the appearance of 
mineral matters only, crystalline, and without any other structural 
character ; but many exhibit in perfection the minute microscopical 
woody structure represented in Witham’s drawings. No. 6, that 
most recently discovered, shows the woody structure perfect and 
undeformed, so far as yet examined, from circumference to centre ; 
but it also contains some small cavities containing nodules of 
pearl-spar; and one considerable cavity has been found, which 
besides these nodules, has a lining of perfect crystals of calc-spar 
three-quarters of an inch across. The “ branch ” shows the 
woody structure best of all. 
This specimen, of which there were originally 8 feet, is now 
reduced to 18 inches. Its transverse section is rudely semi-oval. 
Its end is ruggedly pointed. It had been covered all over with a 
thin coat of coal, of which more will be said presently. Under this 
the naked eye may see the longitudinal fibrous appearance of wood. 
A cross section takes on the colour and polish of fine black marble ; 
and on the surface are dimly seen ten lines, marking the boundaries 
of annual layers, extending from the straight edge right across, 
* See Note on p. 105. 
