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  GEOLOGY. 
  

  

  Petrified 
  wood, 
  although 
  found 
  in 
  most 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   State, 
  seems 
  to 
  occur 
  most 
  abundantly 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   the 
  Big 
  Sand 
  and 
  Bayou 
  Pierre, 
  in 
  a 
  limited 
  district, 
  

   including 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Counties 
  of 
  Claiborne, 
  Hinds, 
  and 
  

   Copiah 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  petrifactions 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  of 
  endogenous 
  

   plants 
  or 
  palms 
  seem 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  measure 
  peculiar 
  to 
  it. 
  

  

  Many 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  palms, 
  in 
  various 
  conditions 
  

   of 
  silicification, 
  and 
  apparently 
  lapidified 
  by 
  different 
  

   mineralizing 
  agents, 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  here. 
  These, 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  woods 
  seemingly 
  allied 
  to 
  or 
  identical 
  

   with 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  age 
  and 
  climate, 
  occur 
  in 
  

   forms 
  and 
  in 
  characters 
  exceedingly 
  diversified, 
  and 
  of 
  

   high 
  interest 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  commonly 
  received 
  

   theories 
  of 
  petrifaction, 
  the 
  fibre 
  texture 
  and 
  the 
  color 
  

   of 
  the 
  wood 
  being 
  often 
  preserved 
  or 
  most 
  wonderfully 
  

   simulated 
  in 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  replacement 
  by 
  mineral 
  

   atoms; 
  suggesting, 
  in 
  some 
  instances, 
  the 
  idea 
  of 
  an 
  

   instant 
  conversion 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  into 
  the 
  present 
  ma- 
  

   terial. 
  

  

  Agatized 
  specimens 
  are 
  common. 
  Wood 
  opal 
  is 
  also 
  

   met 
  with 
  ; 
  and 
  other 
  specimens 
  bear 
  a 
  striking 
  simili- 
  

   tude 
  to 
  jasper, 
  jet, 
  or 
  obsidian, 
  and 
  to 
  chalcedony. 
  

  

  AVoods 
  are 
  seen 
  transmuted 
  into 
  a 
  fine 
  translucent 
  

   carnelian, 
  revealing 
  the 
  minutest 
  details 
  of 
  structure 
  

   and 
  fibre. 
  

  

  Sometimes 
  an 
  asbestiform 
  appearance 
  is 
  presented, 
  or 
  

   a 
  resemblance 
  of 
  fibrous 
  gypsum, 
  with 
  minute, 
  splintery, 
  

   acicular 
  crystals 
  ; 
  and 
  a 
  fine 
  white 
  porcelain 
  is 
  counter- 
  

   feited 
  most 
  successfully. 
  

  

  Although 
  I 
  have 
  scarcely 
  met 
  with 
  an 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  

   palms 
  beyond 
  this 
  locality, 
  the 
  exogenous 
  plants 
  are 
  of 
  

   more 
  general 
  distribution, 
  and 
  having 
  succinctly 
  stated 
  

   some 
  of 
  the 
  aspects 
  which 
  the 
  fossil 
  woods 
  here 
  present, 
  

  

  