242 \^ * [AsSKMBLj 



FOSSIL TREES— Australia. 



Lime is used to improve the soiL Tlie fossil trees are burned 

 to make tlie lime. 



A fossil pine forest, on the eastern coast, in Lake Macquarrie 

 inlet, has been recently discovered by the Rev. B. Clarke. At 

 the base of a mountain range, composed of conglomerate and 

 sandstone, with subordinate beds of lignite, terminating on one 

 side of the lake or inlet, an alluvial flat extends to the water's edge, 

 covering the sandstone rock, which is found in situ (in places) 

 beneath. Throughout the whole of this plain, stumps of fossil- 

 ized trees are seen projecting out of the ground, presenting the 

 appearance of a forest in which the trees are all cut down to the 

 same level. At the distance of some yards from the sliore, a 

 reef is formed by vertical rows of the petrified stems, which pro- 

 ject above the surface of the water. Many of the fossil trees on 

 the shore have the remains of their roots extending into the sand 

 stone rock below the alluvial detritus, and like those in the 

 island of Portland, are in some instances surrounded by an accu- 

 mulation of sandy rock, which forms a mound of a higher level 

 than the rest of the stratum. The trunks stand, generally, about 

 three or four feet above the surface, and are from two to six feet 

 in diameter. The wood is silicified, (flinty,) and veins of chal- 

 cedony traverse the substance of the trunks between the concen- 

 tric rings and medullary rays. In several examples, from sixty 

 to one hundred and twenty annual circles of growth were observ- 

 able. Beds of lignite occur both above and below the fossil 

 trees, in the neighboring hills, and many localities along the 

 eastern coast of Australia present similar plienomeria. These 

 stumps are burned to make lime to put on the land. 



The occurrence of the trunks and stems of dicotyledons in a 

 carbonized state, has been heretofore described. They are also 

 found silicified in many localities. The most beautiful specimens 

 I have seen are from the Lybian and Egyptian deserts and were 

 collected by my friend Captain Head. In tliese the most delicate 

 vascular tissue is permeated by chalcedony and jasper, and some 

 of the vessels are injected with silex of bright vermillion. and of 

 blue color, traversing the cellular structure, which is of a rich 



