Mr W. G. W^itt on Submarine Fir-Trees in Orkney. 101 
removed by the violent motion of the sea, which had been more 
than usually agitated by a heavy gale of wind from the south- 
west. By the removal of the sand, Mr Watt of Skaill discover- 
ed, during the ebb, what was apparently a peat-moss, about an 
acre in extent. Partly imbedded, and lying on the surface of 
this moss, in a horizontal position, were the stems of several 
small trees about 10 feet in length, and from 5 to 6 inches in dia- 
meter. They were in a very decayed state ; but a piece of one 
of them was so fresh, that Mr Watt was able to ascertain it to 
be some kind of fir. This is exceedingly remarkable, as no 
native specimen of any of the resinous or coniferotis trees now 
exists, nor has perhaps for centuries existed, in the Orkney 
Islands, whose Sylva at this day consists of a few stunted alders 
and willows. But here a number of trees were found lying across 
one another, which had seemingly grown in a clump. The stems 
were still attached to the fibres of their respective roots ; and 
no doubt remained on Mr Watfs mind, that they had grown on 
the spot where they now lay. To ascertain that fact complete- 
ly, however, he had a trench dug round two of them, and thus 
traced the fibres of the roots running in all directions, and of all 
sizes, but so much decayed that they did not give the least inter- 
ruption to the spade. Upon removing the surface of what was 
supposed to be moss, Mr W att found it to be an accumulation of 
leaves of vegetables, so much in a state of decay, that they could 
not be separated without destroying their texture. These re- 
sembled in shape and size the leaves of peppermint, or perhaps 
of some species of willow. There w^ere numerous small seeds 
intermixed, about the size of turnip-seed, of a reddish colour. 
In these seeds the power of vegetation appeared totally destroy- 
ed ; but they w’ere not so much decayed as either the trees or 
the leaves. After some time, by the action of the sea, the 
sand again returned to a considerable depth over the moss. 
When Mr Watt had satisfied himself that the trees had grown 
in the situation described, where the sea at this day rises, dur- 
ing the fiood tide, to the depth of at least fifteen feet, it occur- 
red to him, that this bed of moss and trees has arrived at its pre- 
sent level ill consequence of the removal of a bank of earth at 
least eighteen feet deep, which has been washed gradually away 
