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It is interesting to find that when we ascend higher 

 in the geological series and pass beyond the Wealden 

 strata to the Middle and Upper sub-divisions of the 

 Cretaceous period, evidence of the Avide geogra^jhical 

 distribution of the Araucarieae is still abundant. 

 Araucarian wood has been obtained in rocks classed 

 as Upper Cretaceous in Egypt, in East Africa, in 

 Dakota, and elscAvhere. In the sedimentary rocks of 

 the Tertiary period undoubted examples of Araucaria 

 are less common, though there can be no doubt that 

 the genus was much more widely spread then than 

 it is at the present day. The Avell-known Tertiary 

 plant-beds of Bournemouth have afforded specimens 

 of foliage shoots which have been described as a 

 species of Araucaria, though in the absence of well- 

 preserved cones or petrified Avood we must admit 

 that the data are inconclusive. It is, however, 

 legitimate to regard the striking similarity of the 

 Bournemouth twigs to those of Araucaria excelsa 

 and A . CooJcii as constituting a fairly strong case in 

 favour of the persistence of Araucaria in Western 

 Europe up to the earlier stage of the Tertiary period. 

 Araucarian wood of Tertiary age is recorded from 

 India, while branches with broad leaves like those 

 of Araucaria imhricata have been found in Seymour 

 Island and the ^lagellan Straits, and specimens 

 of Tertiary wood are described from Patagonia. 

 At the other end of the world. Tertiary rocks on the 



