Coal Measure Sandstones Research Articles

On the Remains of a Fossil Forest in the Coal-measures at Wadsley, near Sheffield

I n order to make the ground at the back of the South-Yorkshire County Lunatic Asylum more level, a considerable amount of coal-measure sandstone and shale was excavated in the autumn of 1873; and this exposed to view a number of the stumps of large fossil trees. My attention was called to them by my friend, Mr. W. P. Milner, one of the visiting magistrates; and soon afterwards I attended a meeting of the Visitors at the asylum, and pointed out on the spot the desirability of preserving some of the larger and better specimens in situ , so that their position and relation to the strata might always be seen. It was then at once resolved that two small sheds should be erected to protect the trees from the weather; and I am glad to say that this has been carried out in a most satisfactory manner. They have been made of wood, with felt roofs; and they have a number of glazed windows, so that the fossils can be easily seen, even from the outside, or more completely examined by procuring the keys at the Asylum. We may thus hope that these interesting remains will be preserved in a satisfactory state for many years to come. The manner in which they occur is so similar to what has been described by Bowman*, Binney†, Beckett‡, and others, that I need not occupy the space of our Journal in repeating what has been already published, but may say that the facts bear