1884.] Age of the Tertiary Basalts of the Atlantic. 17 



well-preserved pinnae of a fern, seemingly identical with Pieris 

 Grcenlandica, Heer, and very characteristic of the Arctic Tertiaries. 



Conifers. — The only conifer and the prevailing plant is a Cryptomeria. 

 The branchlets are densely tufted and sub-parallel, forking at very 

 acute angles, and frequently bearing cones. There is apparently no 

 character to distinguish it from the existing species. It was named 

 Sequoia Du Noyeri by Mr. Baily, and doubtless some of the foliage 

 from Arctic Tertiaries referred to Sequoia may also belong to it. The 

 range of the existing genus is so restricted and definite, that its dis- 

 covery in a fossil state in Ireland is of special interest. 



Monocotyledons. — These are abundant, but afford no recognisable 

 characters. Two or three diverging rush leaves side by side on the 

 matrix sometimes almost appear to be a fragment of a palm leaf, and 

 I cannot resist the suspicion that Heer may have been misled by a 

 similar appearance into describing palms as occurring in the Tertiary 

 flora of Greenland. They would, however, not easily be mistaken by 

 one accustomed to collect fossil palms in the field. 



Dicotyledons. — The prevailing form is a large pinnatified deciduous 

 leaf, with a close and even texture, such as that of the Plane, Chestnut, 

 or Tulip-tree. It is very variable in form, though scarcely more so 

 than many of the Oaks, which it most resembles, or even the Spanish 

 chestnut. Pealings of a thin bark are not uncommon, and this with 

 the absence of anything like acorns leads to some hesitation in adopt- 

 ing Heer's determination of leaves, which are almost its counterpart, 

 as Quercus Furuhjelmus, from Alaska, and Quercus Grcenlandica, from 

 Atanekerdluk. Fragments of this one leaf have been named from 

 Ireland alone as Platanus Guillelmce, Acer, Quercus, Sassafras, and pro- 

 bably Alnus Kefersteini. Though there are no fruits to furnish a clue 

 to its genus, it was probably a tree of large dimensions. 



A rather smaller and more uncommon leaf has simple margins and 

 more leathery texture, but cannot probably be determined generically. 

 The most interesting leaf is that known as MacCUntochia, or Daplinogene 

 Kanii, a lanceolate leaf, with three or more mid-ribs, connected by an 

 irregular network of veins. The examples are very fine indeed in 

 this locality, a perfect leaf measuring nearly a foot in length, while 

 some imperfect ones seem as if they may have exceeded this to double. 

 The same species occurs in the Arctic floras and in the Heersien stage 

 of the Lower Eocene of Gelinden. Its true affinities seem still 

 unknown, but it does not seem to have been an evergreen, and some- 

 how suggests rather a shrubby than an arborescent growth. A small 

 ovate dicotyledonous leaf, devoid of character, has been figured as 

 Fraxinus, by Mr. Baily, and other genera mentioned as occurring in 

 these beds are Corylus and Bhamnus. Nothing came to light while I 

 was working at the bed to suggest either of these genera except a 

 fragment in the spoil-bank, which might possibly represent the former. 



vol. xxxyiii. c 



