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Show CALIFOHMA'S PETRIFIED FOREST. FOR-EST. Tho petrified iorest di-covered last June near (,'alistoga, Cat., and which has attracted great attention in that State, is not as wonderful a curio-ity as has been asserted. The AUa California Cali-fornia says that the name adopted Oy common usage contains an erroneous impression, as there is n forest nor any petrified tree in an upright position. posi-tion. Parts of about twelve trees are lying down, scattered over a surface about three hundred yards square. Neither petrified branches nor leaves have been discovered, and the petrified trunks vary in diameter Irom one foot to five leet, the greater number being over two feet in diameter, The largest trunk is fifteen feet long and five leet in diameter. The petrifaction, however, how-ever, is complete all the woody fibre having disappeared and having been replaced with a grayish crystallization mainly composed of carbonate of lime. The grain of the wood is distinctly preserved in appearance, and knot holes and fractures are found in the stones, being occasionally lined with transparent crystals of carbonate ot lime. Every stone trunk is broken across trausversely, the fracture being smoother than if it had taken place when the tree had beet- in a vegetable state, but not so smooth as if the trunk had been sawed. The fir-t notices no-tices of these petrified trunks stated ibat live lizards had been discovered entirely surrounded by the crystallized carbonate of lime; it is now, Imwever, contended, with great probabilty. that these little lizards had crawled into the crevices of the petrified trees fir the purpose of obtaining shelter, and that, too, only a few months aco. Goll hid Ac if. |