GOPPERT AND MIDDENDORF ON FOSSIL WOOD. ^7 



Middendorf adds, that Goppert, in examining this fossil wood, has 

 arrived at the following conclusions, which coincide with the views 

 that he himself was led to take by observations made on the spot : 

 namely, that all the fossil wood and coal as yet found in the Taimyr 

 country dates from a very recent epoch of the earth's history. That 

 the fossil wood of Northern Siberia belongs to the existing flora, and 

 resembles the drift-wood that is at the present day washed up by the 

 waves on the northern coast. That this fossil wood, both on the 

 lower part of the river Taimyr, as also in the districts near its source, 

 occurs far beyond the northern limit of the growth of trees, especially 

 of fir forests. That in its organization and state of preservation it 

 quite agrees with the drift-wood still washed up by the sea. That well- 

 preserved and unworn marine shells, of species still existing in the 

 Arctic sea, occur in the same beds with the fossil wood. And that, 

 therefore, the fossil wood probably found its way to the Arctic sea 

 by the same course as that traversed by the drift-wood of the present 

 day, which is brought down to the sea from central and southern 

 Siberia by the large rivers, particularly the Jenisei and the Lena, and 

 after drifting about for some time, is stranded on the coast. That 

 the Tundra was at that time the bed of the sea is proved by the im- 

 bedded shells, the shingle, and the erratic blocks. That the Arctic 

 sea as well as Southern Siberia already possessed at that time a cli- 

 mate like the present, is proved, on the one hand, by the marine shells 

 of recent species, and on the other by the species of the fossil wood. 

 That, lastly, the Mammoth found at the Taimyr participated with 

 the fossil wood in the circumstances of its fossilization ; and that, to- 

 gether with the wood, it was brought down to the sea from its native 

 locality near the upper (southern) parts of the Siberian rivers ; that 

 the low temperature of the rapid rivers and a covering of ice for a 

 time favoured its preservation, until it was silted up on the sea-coast, 

 where ultimately its decomposition formed the layer of mould, evi- 

 dently of animal origin, that was found to envelope the skeleton *. 



Middendorf observes that this animal, possibly, like the elk of 

 the present day, was enabled by the peculiar structure of its teeth to 

 feed on the twigs of the fir ; in which case it did not sufPer want of 

 food. 



Middendorf had frequent occasion to wonder at the astonishingly 

 long period during which the carcases of animals washed up on the 

 shore of the Arctic sea are preserved. Even a stranded whale, 

 thrown up on a sandy shore by strong breakers during an ebb tide, 

 becomes quickly imbedded ; its blubber, however, remaining fresh 

 and well-preserved for a considerable time afterwards ; whilst a car- 

 case thrown up high on shore by a flood-tide is left exposed on the 

 surface, and is quickly consumed even to the strongest bones by beasts 

 of prey. 



With regard to the mineralized and carbonized woods of the first- 

 mentioned locality, Middendorf gives up his opinion of their being 

 of the same species as the subfossil woods subsequently described ; 



* [Compare the chapter on the Mammoth Period, Mm-chison's Russia and the 

 Ural, pp. 492-506.— Ed.] 



