346 ERNEST WAEIIEN. 



part 2, 1910). The structure of the wood was not very well 

 preserved, and the author referred the specimen to tlie genus 

 Dadoxylon, but with the available material could not 

 determine the species. 



The exact geological horizon from which the various speci- 

 mens have been derived could not usually be ascertained in 

 the case of those sent by the general public. 



This coniferous fossil wood appears to be more especially 

 characteristic of the Upper Ecca, which includes the Natal 

 Coal Measures. 



A specimen (Mus. No. 227) in the Museum of quite similar 

 fossil wood collected by Mr. William Anderson, late Grovern- 

 ment geologist of Natal, was labelled as being obtained from 

 certain beds of Zululand tentatively regarded as Cretaceous. 

 If this determination be correct, it would appear that similar 

 coniferous types flourished from the period of the Ecca Forma- 

 tion to Cretaceous times. 



The majority of the samples are of great hardness (6-7 of 

 scale) and well silicified. The specimens from the phosphate 

 bed near Weenen, Natal, consist largely of phosphate of lime 

 and they are comparatively soft (2—3 of scale). A specimen 

 (2" 75-3 of scale of hardness) consisting chiefly of calcium 

 carbonate was obtained from Ingwavuma, Zululand, where 

 Cretaceous beds are in evidence. 



In addition to these, specimens of a black fossilized Avood 

 (hardness about 3*25) were obtained from a kind of lignite 

 seam out-cropping along the coast of Zululand. This seam is 

 probably late Tertiary or even recent. 



A preliminary inspection of the sections demonstrated that 

 all the fossil woods, with the exception of the black one from 

 Zululand, were coniferous, while the latter was undoubtedly 

 dicotyledonous. 



CONIFEROUS WOOD. 



A close examination of the sections of the coniferous woods 

 showed that they belonged to at least two species referable 

 to the genus Dadoxylon. 



