Show OLD HICKORY NUTS among the fossils recently discovered by the united states geological survey department of the tha interior are remarkably well preserved impressions or casta of leaves leave s of several extinct varieties of ash oak beech and hickory which were found along with three present day species in states bordering the gulf of mexico although the leaves themselves have rotted and gone here and there some were buried in soft clay by sediment in such a way as to leave perfectly preserved impressions the nuts on the other hand neither decayed nor petrified but fell into pools of stagnant water which is one of the best preservatives in nature and sooner or later were vere also buried under silt and clay owing to their hard coats those which fell into places favorable to their preservation are today in excellent condition though slightly flattened by the long soaking and the gentle pressure of the clay the deposit in which the leaves arid and nuts are found is not less than a million years old or at least a hundred times as old as the pyramids of egypt the report containing descriptions and reproductions of photographs to of these fossil remains professional paper 98 L is purely technical and may I 1 be bob ob bained from the director geological survey washington Washing toti D C |