Such high mountains as the western range could not exist long 

 without snow and rain forming channels and ultimately rivers 

 coursing to the sea. 



Water ways have been worn in course of time, lava and tufa 

 have been pulverised by varying temi^erature and rain, the detritus 

 having been carried down the mountain slopes, formed here 

 and there rich soil upon which the flora of the period flourished, 

 fragments of plants became embedded in mud and sand, weie over- 

 whelmed with lava, and thus was sealed up the only evidence of 

 the era. Denudation has revealed those beds. The plant beds are 

 situated at Ardtun, in Mull, and were examined and reported upon 

 by the Duke of Argyle many years ago. 



Mr. Gardner has lately examined the beds and secured many 

 specimens, most of which have found their way to the British 

 Museum, he brings his botanical knowledge to bear upon the plant 

 remains, and places them on the same horizon as the middle eocene 

 beds at Bournmouth. 



The plants determined from Ardtun are a fern and some conifers. 



The fern is named Onodea Hehraidiea. 



The conifers are Gryptomeria Stenthenjii, Poducarps Cmiiiihelli, 

 Ginkgo adiantoidea and Ta.iym Camplietli. 



So we have a flora stretching from subtropics to Greenland. The 

 fern is identical with 0. se7isihili><, a well-Known fern to those who 

 indulge in ferneries. It was once found wild in a lane near Moreby, 

 North Yorkshire, (Bains), and is naturalised at a spot near War- 

 rington (Babington). 



Mr. Gardner gives the range of the nearest existing representa- 

 tives of the fossil conifers as follows : — 



C Sternbergii, C. Japonica, China and Japan. 

 Ginkgo adiantoides, G. hiloha, do. do. 

 Taxus Gampbelli, T. adpressa, do. do. 

 Podocarpus Gampbelli, P. falcata, Cape. 



From this flora, we might transfer our thoughts to Fusiama, and 

 find m Japan a picture which woidd probably show us somethino- 

 like the woodlands which clothed the slopes of our western 

 volcanic mountains. 



