120 MIOCENE LOCALITIES. 



but the stems and rhizomes of reeds and reed-maces are toler- 

 ably abundant; so that there were evidently reed-beds in the 

 neighbourhood , in which probably flourished the beautiful iris 

 (Iris Escherae), the marsh Umbelliferse inhabited by the species 

 of Liocus, and sedges and CyperL 



The greater part of the leaves belong to leafy trees. Among 

 these the three-lobed maple predominates ; then follow poplars 

 (Populus latior and mutabilis), soap -trees (Sapindus falcifolius) , 

 a walnut (Juglans acuminata] , and a Podogonia ; all these trees 

 probably lived in the vicinity of the shore. The maple and the 

 poplars no doubt grew upon swampy ground, as did also the 

 alder, the Myrica, and the sumachs. It is probable that the 

 other plants did not grow in the marshes themselves, but in the 

 more or less humid forest ground which immediately adjoined 

 the swampy shore. Among the inhabitants of the forest were 

 Podogonia, soap-trees, and walnuts, with which a number of 

 other trees and shrubs were associated, including the camphor - 

 and cinnamon-trees, the lime-leafed fig, the Diospyros, the 

 oleander-leafed oak, a Robinia (/?. Regeli], the bladder-senna 

 (Colutea), and the C&salpinia. 



Besides these plants, the " Kettlestone " contains many in- 

 sects belonging to land and water and some crustaceans. There 

 are but few species ; but the number of individuals is very great, 

 proving that they lived in the same neighbourhood. The Kettle- 

 stone has preserved a portion of the marshy shore of the lake. 

 Plants and insects which lived on the spot are chiefly met with, 

 and are intermingled with a few which were conveyed from 

 greater distances by currents either of air or water. 



A considerable time probably elapsed in the formation of the 

 Kettlestone, as the different seasons of the year are represented 

 in it : layers are found with the flowers of the Podogonia, maples, 

 and poplars, which indicate the spring ; others with ants^ wings 

 and summer insects and fruits of poplars and willows, which 

 ripen in the summer ; and others, again, with fruits of the maple, 

 camphor -tree, and plane tree, and with twigs of poplar-bearing 

 flower-buds like those -of the existing species in the autumn. 



Higher up the plants become more scarce, and in the thick 

 white bed which covers the Kettlestone there are only a few 



