FOSSIL PLANTS

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 13964, 10 February 1911, Page 9

FOSSIL PLANTS

A SUCCESSFUL EXCURSION

The two young American scientists, .Messrs f-unnot and Fames, who are making an investigation into the fossil plants of New Zealand, returned to Chmtchurch last evenin.*, after spending a few weeli.'i in the South. In conversation with a "Press* reporter they stated that they had bad an exceedingly pleasant time, and that the result of their southern tour had amply repaid the time spent on it. The visitors stated that they spent soma little time at the fossil forest at "Waikawa, in Southland, where they went narticularlv to :-ee the petrified trees for which "thin locality is noted. The petrified forest is at Curio Bay, and the young scientists found it a most interesting place. They worked for some time in the vicinity of Invercargill, finding splendid fields for their investigations at Spa ward Bush, the Hokonui Hills, and in the lignite pits, which are so numerous in Southland. While on their travels they collected specimens of living plants as well as fo.-f-il*, and their "swags" were sometimes very bulky and heavy. They have collected a lot of fossil material, including specimens of the petrified wood which occurs in the Seaward Hush and nt Curio Bay. These fossils belong to a very remote period, and they will have to be cut up and scientifically examined before they can be identified. They probably belong to some class of pines. Their collection n!«o includes a number of petrified ferns from th. Seaward Bush. This i ti'lr. it may b:> stated, impressed the visitors very much indeed. It was very luxuriant, and reminded them of the North'lsland bush. The growth was very rich nnd rank, and thpy were rather surprised to see delicate ferns there which they did not expect to encounter so far south.

One of the most- pleasant parts of their tour was the visit paid to Mount Conk. The vegetation there- was, of course, distinctly Alpine, but they made a representative collection of it. The weather, was fine, they got a fine view of the mountain and other sights, and were delighted with tho Hermitage. Altogether, they say, they have had a fine time in the South Island. They wore most pleasantly impressed with the wheat field:, cf Canterbury and North Dingo, and the oats fields of Southland. The prospects- which opened before them reminded them more than anything else of scenes in Canada. Tlie advancing settlement of Southland —the gradual dcstnictim of bush, and tho settlement of the cleared land —took their notice. The journey to and from Mount Cook they found rather dull, — the tussock area having no attractions for them.

Messrs Sinnot nnd Eames will probably leavo for Wellington this evening. They intend to spend a few days among the mountains on the Main Tiunk route, and then to go on to Rotorua. They leave Auckland for Sydney on tho 27th, And will probably spend a couple of months in Australia before returning to America.