308 HISTORICAL PALAEONTOLOGY. 
district known as the “ Mauvaises Terres.” They have a 
thickness of 1000 feet or more, and contain numerous remains 
of Mammals. ‘They are of lacustrine origin, and are believed 
to be of the age of the Lower Miocene. Upon the whole, 
about from 15 to 30 per cent of the J/o//usca of the American 
Miocene are identical with existing species. 
In addition to the regions previously enumerated, Miocene 
strata are known to be developed in Greenland, Iceland, Spitz- 
bergen, and in other areas of less importance. 
The “fe of the Miocene period is extremely abundant, and, 
from the nature of the deposits of this age, also extremely 
varied in its character. The marine beds of the formation 
have yielded numerous remains of both Vertebrate and Inver- 
tebrate sea-animals; whilst the fresh-water deposits contain 
the skeletons of such shells, fishes, &c., as now inhabit rivers 
or lakes. Both the marine and the lacustrine beds have been 
shown to contain an enormous number of plants, the latter 
more particularly ; whilst the Brown Coals of the formation 
are made up of vegetable matter little altered from its original 
condition. The remains of air-breathing animals, such as 
Insects, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals, are also abundantly 
found, more especially in the fresh-water beds. 
The plants of the Miocene period are extraordinarily num- 
erous, and only some of the general features of the vegetation of 
this epoch can be indicated here. Our chief sources of informa- 
tion as to the Miocene plants are the Brown Coals of Germany 
and Austria, the Lower and Upper Molasse of Switzerland, 
and the Miocene strata of the Arctic regions. The lignites of 
Austria have yielded very numerous plants, chiefly of a tropical 
character—one of the most noticeable forms being a Palm of 
the genus Sadal (fig. 234, B), now found in America. The 
plants of the Lower Miocene of Switzerland are also mostly 
of a tropical character, but include several forms now found 
in North America, such as a Tulip-tree (Ziriodendron) and a 
Cypress (Zaxodium). Amongst the more remarkable forms 
from these beds may be mentioned Fan-Palms (Chame@rops, 
fig. 234, A), numerous tropical ferns, and two species of Cin- 
namon. ‘The plant-remains of the Upper Molasse of Switzer- 
land indicate an extraordinarily rank and luxuriant vegetation, 
composed mainly of plants which now live in warm countries. 
Among the commoner plants of this formation may be enume- 
rated many species of Maple (Acer), Plane-trees (Platanus 
fig. 235), Cinnamon-trees (fig. 236), and other members of the 
Lauracee, many species of Proteacce (Banksia, Grevillea, &c.), 
several species of Sarsaparilla (Swz/ax), Palms, Cypresses, &c. 
