minutes, and then we enter a cutting, over which is a neat foot bridge. To the right we leave the village of BINLEY, and soon after come upon the embankment over the valley of the SHERBORNE, Coventry spires presenting themselves onwards to the right.

The

We have now passed over the oolite rocks, and are upon those of the saliferous system. The sand rocks of this system are of a reddish colour, and are called new red sandstone. The clays are of red, yellow, and other hues, and the limestone which is called the magnesian limestone, is generally of a yellow colour, but sometimes red, smoky white, or grey. occurrence of rock salt and brine springs is the most remarkable feature in this system of rocks, and has led to its being called the saliferous system. It forms the great central plain of England, and is the most extensive system we have; it consists of two formations, the red-sandstone formation, which has been found in some places upwards of 600 feet deep, and the magnesian limestone formation which is in some places 300 feet thick. The saliferous system rests upon the coal measures of the carboniferous system, and the organic remains constitute a link between those of the latter and those of the oolites, the forms altering in conformity with the alteration of the circumstance. In the gravel beds incidental to the sand rocks there are often to be found pieces of gypsum and petrified wood.

The SHERBORNE is a pleasing rivulet, and the valley is remarkable for containing a great quantity of petrified dicotyledonous wood in a silicified state; a very splendid specimen of the trunk of a large tree exists

in situ about half a mile from Coventry, at ALLESLEY, in the yard at the back of the Rev. Mr. Gibson's house. This beautiful record of change is situated in a bed of gravel occurring between strata of sandstone; the wood is frequently granulated. We give the annexed sketch of it, which will no doubt be interesting to scientific readers.

The Sherborne is passed by a viaduct similar to that over the Sow, when WHITLEY MILL and COмMON lie upon the left, and the ancient city of CoVENTRY on the right; the London Road is crossed by the line and then we enter the Coventry Park excavation, which passes through a hard sandstone rock; about half way through on the south side of the cutting,

If

a living toad was found about 11 feet deep in the solid rock. The circumstance of a living reptile existing embedded in rock may appear an improbable phenomenon to many of our readers; indeed though several instances have been mentioned, the fact have appears to gained but little credit; some have, however, thought the case not so difficult to account for. It is well known, they say, that toads and similar reptiles, preparatory to their going into a dormant state, bury themselves in the mud at the bottom and sides of ditches and pools, not in groups or congregated in a small space, but at some distance from each other. the water by any means should be drained off, the silt which may have accumulated since the animal buried itself, would become indurated and prevent the future escape of the reptile. Upon the return of summer, when sufficient warmth had penetrated to where the creature was imprisoned, it would revive, and sufficient nourishment be afforded by the animalculæ contained in the water which percolated through the strata. This theory, others maintain, is objectionable from its involving the doctrine that the animal was older than the rock in which it was found, a period so vast, considering all the rocks above it in the order of superposition, as to make the notion ridiculous; besides, the remains of these animals are not incidental to the saliferous system. And it is much more reasonable, they say, to suppose either that some spawn was carried with the water through the crevices of the rock, or even that some unknown process of organizing had taken place in the earth. The toad found in the