62 The Fossil Forest of Atanalcerdluk. 



landica, with leaves six inches long ; another large-leaved oak, 

 Q. Olafseni ; and the Q. atava, which resembles our common 

 oak. Here also abounded plane trees, magnolias (M. Inglefieldi) , 

 walnuts (Juglans acuminata), an evergreen plum {Primus 

 Scottii), a Planera,* etc. In the midst of these trees grew 

 many shrubs, a hazel nut, an ivy, three briars, and an Andro- 

 meda, f while ferns carpeted the ground. 



All these genera are now represented by species much 

 allied to the old Greenland flora; but there are some which 

 exhibit divergent forms, and whose relation with existing 

 species is more or less doubtful — these are a Zamites, a Mac- 

 Clintoclda, and the Daphnogene Kanii. This last is a green 

 plant, with a thick leathery leaf, supported by a petiole nearly 

 a foot long. The MacGlintoclda, with its leathery leaves, 

 more or less lanceolate, entire, or denticulated, having from 

 three to seven veins (nervures), forms an entirely isolated 

 genus, of which the three species described appear to belong 

 to the family of the Proteacece. The Zamites arcticus had its 

 leaves divided into small thin straps, and did not exceed the 

 dimensions of a shrub. As these plants have no living ana- 

 logues, we cannot tell the temperature necessary for their 

 development, but green plants with thick leathery leaves 

 appear always to belong to a tolerably southern climate. 



If we find that the Sequoia Salisburea, and the Quercus 

 Dnjmeia, and Olafseni grew in the 70th parallel of latitude, it 

 is natural to suppose that planes, beeches, pines, and nut-trees 

 extended still further north, and perhaps reached the Pole. 

 This inference is supported by the fact that in latitude 78° 

 the miocene flora includes the plane, the hazel, the beech, the 

 pine, and the Taxodium of Atanakerdluk. The masses of 

 petrified wood found by MacClure and his companions in 

 latitude 74° need no longer astonish us. They afford another 

 proof that forests formerly covered vast spaces which are 

 plains of ice. 



So many circumstances influence the development of 

 plants, that' it is difficult to fix the temperature of the Green- 

 land climate at this forest epoch. The Sequoia Langsdorffi 

 formed a great part of the Atanakerdluk forest, whole 

 branches have been, recovered, and each fragment of rock 

 bears its imprint. It played an important part in the miocene 

 flora ; it is found in the banks of the Mackenzie, in the PoGky 

 Mountains, and, in Europe, Italy has furnished specimens. 

 The S. sem/pervvrens, which may be regarded as its descendant, 

 forms in California great forests,, which extend from Mexico to 



* " Plancra trees, natives of Asia and N. America, belonging to the Ulmaccce, 

 and closely allied to the elms." — See Treasury of Botany. 

 f A genus of Ericaceae. 



