GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY OF THE TEERITORIES. 309 



TaNe of distribution of the species of fossil plants, ^-e. — Continued. 



§ 3. Geographical Distribution of American Tertiary Fossil 



Plants. 



A few genieral remarks applicable also to the considerations on the 

 stratigraphical distribution of our fossil plants find their place in the 

 beginning of this article. 



The species marked in the first column of the table do not give any- 

 reliable information on geographical or geological distribution. The 

 swamps of the Tertiary, at least those which have preserved remains of 

 plants for fossilization, were evidently of the same kind as are now our 

 forest swamps and bogs. When the swamps were of small extent, the 

 borders being surrounded by trees of coarse, their interior surface was 

 covered with a thick growth of shrubs mostly of the same species. 

 Such swamps of ours now are bordered by maple, hickory, oak, «&c., 

 and their interior surface generally covered by water for a part of the 

 year is occupied by thickets of CephalantJius, Bosa, Azalea, Glethra, &c. 

 When of some larger extent, the middle of the swamps was, at the Ter- 



