A REMARKABLE FOSSIL TREE TRUNK 

 FROM THE MIDDLE DEVONIC OF NEW YORK 



BY 



DAVID WHITE 



The fossil trunk which forms the subject of this description lies 

 on a large slab mounted in the eastern bow window of the Geological 

 Hall of the New York State Museum. The specimen, which is 

 over 3.25 meters in length, is extraordinary not only for its perfec- 

 tion, but also for the fact that it represents, so far as I am aware, 

 by far the largest tree of its order yet found in Precarbonic rocks. 

 But it is still more remarkable for the new light which it throws on 

 the habit of growth, superficial features, and systematic affinities 

 of one of the early forerunners of two great Paleozoic plant groups, 

 the Lepidodendreae and the Sigillariae. It will be seen that its 

 interest and importance as illustrating a stage in the development 

 of the Paleozoic Lepidophytes (Lycopodiales) far overshadows its 

 great value as a unique and most imposing specimen of a very 

 ancient type of tree. 



Source and age of the specimen 



The specimen was discovered in 1882 by D. D. Luther, in the 

 upper Devonic shale at the mouth of Grimes gully, about 1 mile 

 west of Naples, N. Y. The shale has been described 1 as the 

 " Hatch shale." It comprises the topmost division of the Portage 

 group in that meridian of the State. The disentombment of the 

 remains of the tree was completed under Dr J. M. Clarke's direc- 

 tion some years later, and a short announcement of its installation 

 in the State Museum was published 2 in 1887. 



As originally quarried the specimen is reported to have been 

 about 5 meters in length to the point of outcrop in the side of the 

 ravine. No evidence of branching was seen, and the branches, of 

 which there probably were but few, were lost by the erosion of the 

 shales during the cutting of the ravine. At the point of outcrop 

 exposure the trunk is said to have been but 70 millimeters in width. 

 At the time of mounting in the Museum during the absence of 



X N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 63. 1904. p. 33. 

 2 Clarke, J. M. Science 225. 9: 516. 



