116 MIOCENE LOCALITIES 



5. The Molasse of the Canton of Zurich (Albis, Horgen, Elgg, 

 Velthelntj Irc/tel) . 



In Western Switzerland the only remains of the (Eningian 

 period are found in the flora of Locle, and in a certain number 

 of trees (principally poplars and willows) which probably fringed 

 the brook flowing from the Vosges mountains through the valley 

 of Delsberg. After the retreat of the sea belonging to the Hel- 

 vetian stage from Switzerland, the Cantons of Vaud, Friburg, 

 and Berne were probably dry land ; and they appear to have 

 possessed no lakes in the muddy deposits of which the fragments 

 of the flora of the country might have been preserved. 



In Eastern Switzerland, however, a large freshwater lake 

 spread over the Cantons of Zurich and Thurgau, in which were 

 deposited masses of sand and pebbles, forming the Upper Swiss 

 freshwater Miocene. This lake has been already noticed in 

 vol. i. p. 302 of the present work ; and the lignite-beds, and the 

 remains of plants contained in various portions of them, show 

 that in several localities the lake had been converted into peat- 

 bogs and marshes. 



From the Albis, from IrcheL, Stettfurt, Berlingen, and Steck- 

 borii Prof. Heer has obtained a number of leaves belonging to 

 sixty species of plants. The most abundant trees were the 

 poplars (Populus latior, P. balsamoides, and P. mutabilis), cam- 

 phor-trees (Cinnamomum polymorphism) , and the beautiful Podo- 

 yonicR'y and the forests also contained liquid am bars, laurels, 

 willows, maples, dogwoods, and buckthorns. 



At Kapfnach a peat-moss has been found. The brownish 

 yellow bituminous marl and marl-shale with compressed shells 

 which underlie the bed of coal represent the white bottom ; the 

 black shales which here and there intersect the coal are the 

 muddy deposits of the water which from time to time inundated 

 the marshy ground. They only contain scanty remains of reed- 

 like plants ; and the lignites present here and there compressed 

 palm-stems, probably belonging to the Sabal (see vol. i. p. 336) . 

 The complete absence of the leaves of trees would seem to prove 

 that there were no forest trees in the neighbourhood. The 

 bones and teeth are preserved of numerous mammals which 

 strayed into the marsh and perished there. 



