I.— Fossil Tree Stumps at Saltcoats

Abstract

The purpose of this note is to describe an occurrence of fossil tree stumps in the Saltcoats Harbour area of which no earlier record exists. Their position is indicated on the accompanying sketch-map. They were exposed during a recent succession of south-westerly gales when quantities of sand and shingle were swept off the site and piled up against the sea-wall of the Braes. The present writer was fortunate in finding conditions suitable for a detailed examination of the occurrence. There are some 30 stumps in all, preserved as casts in a bed of hard sandstone and mostly in the position of growth. They occur in three groups lettered A, B, and C on the sketch-map. Group A includes some 18 stumps and in addition a log or piece of stem with coaly material still adhering to it, lying embedded horizontally in the sandstone; group B comprises 8 stumps, of which three were excavated by the writer; group C consists only of 3 stumps. The diameter of the trees, as measured in two directions (N.N.W. and W.S.W.), are given in Table 1 at the end of the note. From this it will be seen that these dimensions range from 33 cms. × 35 cms. up to 75 cms. × 75 cms. The diagrammatic section drawn along the line X-Y shows the nature of the strata in the immediate vicinity of the trees, including a thin sill of teschenite which has invaded the sediments and burnt or indurated them in varying degree. This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract The author wishes to express his appreciation of the help given by Dr. Murray MacGregor, in the preparation of this note; and to thank Miss Brock and his wife for work done in the field.