THE HEART OF THE ANTARCTIC 



gymnosperm as Finns. These clear spaces occur regularly 

 along the length of the tracheides, and stand out strongly 

 against the dark colour of the walls in their preserved 

 condition. 



" The nature of the xylem itself leads to the con- 

 clusion that it is a portion of a gymnospermous plant, 

 resembling strongly in nature the same portion of a 

 coniferous plant." 



If the conclusion as to the coniferous character of the 

 wood is correct, and there seems little reason to doubt its 

 correctness, the lower limit of the age of the Beacon 

 sandstone is perhaps lower carboniferous or Upper 

 Devonian, unless conifers in the Antarctic had a deeper 

 range in geological time than elsewhere. 



The plate shows the general appearance under the 

 microscope of this fossil wood. The medullary rays are 

 fairly distinct. 



This is the first determinable fossil plant that has 

 been obtained from the Victoria Land portion of the 

 Antarctic. 



Although a date not older than carboniferous or 

 Devonian is suggested by the presence of this coniferous 

 wood, it is of course possible that the Beacon sandstone 

 is of higher geological antiquity, and if the radiolarian 

 rocks, already referred to, are conformable with the 

 Beacon sandstone, it may even go far down into the older 

 palaeozoic. 



The degree of induration of these unfolded plateau 

 sandstones and the general absence of fossils from the 

 limestones is suggestive of a high geological antiquity. 



Raised Beaches 



Raised beaches were observed at two distinct localities 

 on the western slopes of Ross Island, also near the mouth 



316 



