GEOLOGY. 261 



of the sea ; so that there can be no glacier formation at a lower alti- 

 tude. 



Another experiment of much interest was also made with refer- 

 ence to the temperature of the sea at great depths. It had been the 

 opinion that at great depths in the Arctic Ocean the temperature 

 was at least -|- 2 Cent. ; but by using the apparatus termed the 

 M'Clintock apparatus, a compact mass of bottom clay was brought up 

 from a depth of 2,800 yards ; and a thermometer being thrust in to a 

 depth of two inches from the surface of the lump, showed 0.6 Cent., 

 while in the centre it showed 0.3, the temperature of the water on the 

 surface being 4. ; and though the decreasing temperature of the clay 

 might have been affected by the increasing temperature of the water 

 as it was being hauled up from the bottom, a business of two and a 

 half hours, still it can have had no possible influence on the centre. 

 At all events, therefore, the temperature cf the bottom was by this 

 experiment proved to be not less than 0.3 Cent. ! Notwithstanding 

 this low degree of warmth, there were found several marine animals of 

 different types and classes, amongst others a moderately large Poly- 

 parium, probably belonging to the Hydroid class ; a bivalved mussel, 

 some Tunicata attached to the Polyparium, Annelides, and one 

 Crustacean of bright colors. 



The flora in Spitsbergen is poor ; but still the expedition has col- 

 lected about sixty species of Phanerogamous plants. A white bear 

 that was shot was, on being opened, found to have its stomach full of 

 plants, thus proving that these animals can be herbivorous. 



An interesting observation that was made led the naturalists of the 

 expedition to the inference that the tusks of the walrus, among other 

 uses, are employed to dig up food from the bottom; for in the stomach 

 of one of the specimens was found a quantity of the Mya truncata, a 

 species of sand-mussel, which lies buried at least one foot below the 

 surface of the mud, and which the walrus, therefore, could only reach 

 by using its tusks like a dung-fork, with which to turn up the mud from 

 the bottom. 



Of land birds a few only were found : the Falco, Gerfalco, Stryx 

 nyctea, Ptarmigan, and Snow-bunting. As far as can be recollected 

 there were no strand birds, except the Tringa maritima. Eider- 

 ducks were found, both kinds of Auks, and Gulls in plenty. The 

 sea around Spitzbergen is very poor in fish ; but marine animals of a 

 low type were numerous ; and among these will probably be found 

 much that is new. Of geological specimens an interesting and valu- 

 able collection has been made. The palseontological formations seem 

 to belong to the Permian and Jura. Numerous fossils were collected, 

 amongst which were ammonites, and impressions of leaves of Dico- 

 tyledonous genera, bearing a strong resemblance to palm-leaves. 



UNITY OF GEOLOGICAL PHENOMENA IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM. 



The following ingenious and plausible article, by L. Sasmann, 

 is translated from the Bull, de la Soc. Geologique de France, Feb., 

 1861, for Silliman's Journal, by T. Sterry Hunt, F. R. S. : 



The observations upon the solar eclipse of July 18, 1860, have 

 given rise among astronomers and physicists to some interesting dis- 



