0. C. Marsh — Discovery of a Fossil Forest. 



and on the small branches, numerous fragments of which were 

 lying near. Many other trees were found, nearly or quite equal 

 to these in size ; and all those examined indicated a very hxp- 

 general growth for the original forest. 



All the trees discovered were prostrate, and mo>t of -' 

 after their petrifaction, had been broken transversely iiii 

 eral sections, apparently by the disturbance of the eii' 

 strata. A majority of the trunks had a general north i\w\ - 

 direction, probably due to the course of the current t!i:i' 

 ered them with volcanic material, or perhaps indieaiiug- \u - 

 cases the position in which they had fallen. Several ^ 

 trunks had portions of their roots still attached, and soiu- 

 evidently much decayed internally and worm eaten helot- 

 entombment. All the fossil wood observed wa.-^ sil ■ 

 probably by means of hot alkaline waters containing si 

 solution, a natural result of volcanic action, espeeially 

 occurring in connection with water, as was evidently tin 

 in the present instance. 



The trees closely examined appeared to be all conifers, and 

 in their external characters, especially in the bark, mode ot 

 branching, and general habit of growth, most nearly resemKe 

 the modern redwoods, still flourishing in the same region, i >'" 

 M. C. White, of New Haven, an authority in such matter-^, 

 moreover, kindly made a microscopical examination ot .-' 

 the best preserved specimens collected at this locality ' 

 writer, and finds no essential difference between the stru^ 

 of the fossil M^ood, and that of existing conifers of the gen -^ 

 Sequoia, to which the redwoods belong. 



The beds enclosing the silicified wood appear to contain no 

 other fossils, excepting here and there small fragments ^r ^■'^^'^'^' 

 coal, and hence their exact age is somewhat doubtful. As ^ ^' ' 

 rest unconformably on distorted and metamorphic Creta. 

 strata, they are apparently as recent as Tertiary, and will 

 ably prove to be Pliocene. The origin of the volcanic nia 

 which covered the forest cannot, perhaps, be definitely a- 

 tained, without a careful examination of the surrounding regi*';- 

 It is not improbable, however, that it came from Mount bt n^ 

 ena, the nearest volcanic peak, across the now inter\^ening deprtj 

 sion. Our party discovered on the western side of the -^^^^ . , 

 ley, along the base of the ridge, patches of a deposit ol strain^ 

 tufa and gravel, which was evidently indentical with that to 

 taining the fossil trees on the summit This would seem 

 imply that the upper portion of the valley had once been 

 with these peculiar beds, and, through their denudation, 

 graduaUy attained its present proportions. However tnai 

 be, the volcanic deposit and its contents is certainly otgte^, 

 interest, even in this land of geological wonders, ana ^ ^^^ 

 worthy of a more systematic exploration than we were a 

 give it in the limited time at our command. 

 Yale CoUege, New Haven, February 10th, 1871. 



