On the Ancient Plant- World. 273 



that of our forests — Fagns sylvatica pliocenica, affording a valuable 

 index of the existing climatal conditions, requiring, as it does, rain 

 throughout the year. 



In the somewhat newer fluviatile beds of Vaquieres, explored by 

 Prof. Marion, grew an Alnus, between a Syrian and a Japanese 

 species ; a Glyptostrobas, near to that of Canton ; a reed, near to the 

 green reed of the Nile (Arundo JEcjyptia antiqua, Sap.), covered the 

 sand banks of this ancient river. The calcareous deposits of Mexi- 

 miniiex, discovered by M. Falsan, disclose rich forests, resembling in 

 the character of their vegetation those of the Canaries, joined with 

 Asian, North American, and European facies; but tenanted yet, only 

 by Stags, Mastodons and Tapirs. 



To this age belong the lacustrine deposits associated with basaltic 

 overflows of Auvergne ; in that overlying the older lava M. B. Barnes 

 has found in Cantal the remains of Dinoiherium, Mastodon, Uip- 

 parion, and Machairodus, which places these beds on the horizon of 

 the Upper Miocene of Mont Leberon and Pikermi. Over these 

 come porphyritic basalt, and trachytic conglomerate. The country 

 was broken into ridges and escarpments, the northern and southern 

 aspects of which were covered by a somewhat different vegetation, 

 which also now varied with elevation, — profound forests occupying 

 the hollows of great magnificence, and tenanted by a numerous 

 fauna. New eruptions, first of trachyte, then basalt, then phonolites, 

 then of more modern lavas. These are associated with volcanic tuff 

 and ash beds, containing a numerous Bliocene flora, especially at 

 Puy, in the "Grey marne with tripoli," at Ceyssae (Haute-Loire), 

 examined by MM. Aymard and Haydes, and the Cantal beds ex- 

 amined by Barnes, which he correlates with those of Lyons. At 

 Pas de la Mongudo, on the south of the volcanic district, and Saint- 

 Vincent, on the north, occurs a Japanese species of Acer (A. poly- 

 morphum), which has recently been reintroduced into France by the 

 horticulturist. In these flora modern genera and species, Oaks, Elms, 

 Alders, Poplars, etc., multiply in numbers, and preponderate over the 

 few remaining exotic types. The same temperate facies is observable 

 in the littoral deposits of the Val d'Arno, and in the travertines 

 of Lipari, where the Palm, Chamcerops humilis, still lingered on. 



' At the commencement of the Pliocene period, favoured by the 

 dampness of the climate and the increasing cold, glaciers gradually 

 descended the flanks of the high mountains to the valleys beneath, 

 and great aqueous precipitation took place. The Norfolk Forest Bed 

 is correlated with the horizon of St. Martial in Herault and the more 

 recent parts of the Val d'Arno series. Mastodons had quitted Europe; 

 Monkeys had emigrated to Africa ; but Bhinoceri and Hippopotami 

 had never been more numerous ; Stags abounded ; but the age was 

 specially characterized by Elephas meridionalis, found associated in 

 the sandy marls of Durfort, with the leaves — on which it fed chiefly — 

 of an Oak, of a species still living in Southern Italy. A Laurel lived 

 on in the Bhone Valley, and Abies montana, and other northern species, 

 in the Forest Bed ; climatal difference of vegetation in the North 

 and South of Europe being first strongly accentuated in this period. 



DECADE II. — VOL. VI. — NO. VI. 18 



