DR. W. R. M'NAB ON ARCTIC DRIFT WOODS. 135 
Report on the Aretic Drift Woods colleeted by Captain Feilden 
and Mr. Hart in 1875 and 1876. By W. R. M'Na$, M.D, 
F.L.S., Professor of Botany, Roy. Coll. of Science, Dublin. 
(Read November 3, 1881.] 
IN the following Report I have endeavoured to detail the results 
of my examination of the drift woods brought from the Arctic 
regions by the naturalists attached to the recent Arctic expedition 
under Captain Nares. There are thirteen specimens of drift 
wood and one specimen of bark, collected in different localities by 
Captain Feilden and Mr. Hart; and these were placed in my 
hands for examination by Professor Oliver, F.R.S. The speci- 
mens of wood are all completely devoid of bark ; hence it was im- 
possible to distinguish the genus to which some of the Coniferous 
woods belong, as, for example, Picea and Larix, the genera to 
which most of the woods may be referred. In general the 
woods were well preserved and in good condition, except on the 
very surface ; hence there was little difficulty in obtaining proper 
sections for microscopic examination. The woods were all cut 
in three directions, as is usual in examining dicotyledonous and 
coniferous woods; and the sections were viewed both dry and 
when mounted in Canada balsam. Careful comparison of the 
drift woods with sections of named woods has not enabled me to 
identify the species in any case; hence the whole of the results 
obtained must be considered unsatisfactory. In the following 
list the specimens are lettered A to O, the letters &c. correspond- 
ing to the labels on the slides of the preparations accompanying 
the Report*. 
1. PrNus sp. (One species.) 
Two portions of wood are referable to Pinus. These I have 
indicated by the letters A and B. Both the pieces in the collection 
are marked as from the same locality, viz. * Head of Discovery Bay, 
April 1876," but one of them (B) as having been * 100 yards from 
the water, embedded in sand." The woods are quite similar in 
outward appearance, and are portions of comparatively large 
* I have also examined a small collection of drift woods made by Staff-Sur- 
geon Edward L. Moss, M.D., R.N., Surgeon of the ‘Alert’ His specimens are 
similar to those obtained by the naturalists of the Expedition, with one excep- 
tion, viz. a portion of a stem of a species of Juniperus. The stem must have 
been of some size, and belongs apparently to a North-American species. 
