GOEPPERT ON THE FOSSIL PLANTS FOUND IN AMBER. 



in resinous products, as were the trees of the Amber- flora, with which 

 the Damara Australis, of New Zealand, can alone in this respect be 

 compared ; the branches and twigs of this tree being stiff with white 

 resin-drops. 



If we take into consideration the enormous extent which the 

 forests of 



Abies alba, 



Abies ovata, 



nigra. 



Larix Daburica, 



balsamea. 



Sibirica, and 



Sibirica, 



Pinus Cembra, 



at present attain in North America and Northern Asia, we are led to 

 infer a similar extension in former times of the Amber-forests through- 

 out the northern regions ; to which, indeed, the wide distribution of 

 amber in the late tertiary deposits of North America, Holland, North 

 Germany, Russia, and Siberia to Kamtschatka bears evidence. 



If we judge from the proportion which the fir-forests bear to the 

 rest of our northern flora generally, we shall infer, from the preva- 

 lence of the Coniferce in the Amber, the existence of a very rich 

 flora contemporaneous with the latter, and of which but a small part 

 has as yet been presented to our notice. Germany contains C800 

 species of Cryptogamce, according to Rabenhorst, and 3454 species 

 oi PhanerogamcB, according to Koch. The proportions are — 



Cryptogamse 



The German Flora. 

 Classes. Species. 

 8 6800 



The Amber Flora. 

 Classes. Species. 

 6 60 



Families. 



Phanerogamse 135 



Cupuliferse 



Ericinese 



Species. 

 3454 

 12 

 23 



Families. 

 . 20 



Species. 

 102 

 10 

 24 



Proportion of trees and plants •••'{■3191 1- = 1:10 < q>=:10:1 



Amber is never found isolated in large or small masses in the bitu- 

 minous wood of the Brown-coal with resin-ducts of a single row of 

 cells, which never contain yellow masses of resin, but only dark- 

 brown transparent resin-drops, as in the Cupressinece, or the Cup7-es- 

 sinoxijloti of Goeppert. The compound resin-ducts of the ALietineee 

 alone are filled with amber. 



It is probable that the amber and its plant-remains have been 

 drifted to the places in which they are now found. The author 

 knows of no well- authenticated instance of the occurrence of amber 

 in the Brown-coal formation itself; it occurs in the drift-beds above 

 it, where, howevei', it does not appear to have originally belonged. 

 Scheerer has found it in Norway ; von Brevern, at Giscliiginsk in 

 Kamtschatka ; Rink, in Haven Island, near Disco Island, Greenland ; 

 and in these instances it is generally in drift-beds. The supposition, 

 however, that it belongs to the Drift-period, is difficult to substan- 

 tiate, the flora of that period being as yet but little known. The 



