1880.] Miocene Plants discovered in the Mackenzie River. 561 



which eventually was sent by rail to New York, and thence by 

 steamer to London, its contents reaching me in the course of the 

 present spring (1880). 



The specimens consisted of silicified wood with a number of leaves, 

 partly in soft, bnt partly also in baked clay. The nature of the stone 

 corresponds exactly with that in which Richardson's specimens are 

 embedded ; and as, of the fourteen species represented in the new 

 collection, seven are found in Richardson's, it is evident that all the 

 specimens come from the same locality. The same is also true of 

 a few plant fossils recently submitted to me, which have been re- 

 ceived by Mr. Scott from the Bishop of Athabasca, who, before 

 leaving England, had readily consented to do what he could to for- 

 ward the study of the geology of this part of his immense diocese. 



If we summarise all the known facts of the Fossil Flora known to 

 occur on the Mackenzie River, we find that there are twenty-three 

 species, of which six are widely disseminated in the Miocene deposits 

 of Europe : — Taxodium distichum miocenum, Glyptostrobus JJngeri, 

 Sequoia Langsdorfii, Gorylus M' 'Quarrii, Platanus aceroides, and Juglans 

 acuminata. 



Not a single one of the species is found in the Eocene of Europe. 



The Mackenzie Flora contains six species present also in the Brown- 

 coal Flora of Alaska, viz., Tax. distichum, Glypt. JJngeri, Seq. Langsd., 

 Goryl. WQucir., Jugl. acuminata, and Viburnum Nordenskioldi. 



Eight appear also in the Flora of Saghalien : — Tax. dist., Glypt. Uvg., 

 Sequ. Langsd., Gorylus M'Quar., Jugl. acum., Hedera M'Glurii, 

 Quercus Olafseni, and Magnolia Nordenshioldi . 



The Flora exhibits just as close a connexion with that of the Arctic 

 Miocene beds. Thirteen species from Greenland, fourteen from Spitz- 

 bergen, five from Grinnell Land, and four from Iceland make their 

 appearance. 



In Canada, to the south of the Mackenzie River, in lat. 49° 1ST., 

 Tertiary plants have been found in some localities, e.g., at Porcupine 

 Creek, at Great Valley, and on the Milk River. The last-mentioned 

 localities have yielded only a few species, and Professor Dawson has 

 determined fifteen from Porcupine Creek.* Of these six are still 

 existing, and one of these species (Onoclea sensihilis, L.) has also been 

 found in the Miocene Tuffs of Mull, in Scotland, and at Fort Union. 

 To these should be added three species known as Miocene, Glypto- 

 strobus Puropceus, Sequoia Langsdorfii, and Popidus Bichardsoni. 



Not one of the plants described by Dawson occurs in the Eocene of 

 Europe, and in the United States themselves four of the species have 

 been found in the Miocene, while only one (the Sequoia) is possibly 

 admissible as Eocene. 



* Vide " Report on the Geology and Resources of the Region in the vicinity of 

 the 49th Parallel." By G. M. Dawson. Page 328. 



