1899] BEEREN EILAND 317 



8 a.m.). During the period of the experiment the development of 

 these plants did not proceed very far, but the series kept in the light 

 was obviously the more sturdy. The third experiment consisted in 

 the cultivation, on a hot-bed, of a score of common Scandinavian plants. 

 These also were in two similar series, one kept in the light, the other 

 darkened by night. The experiment succeeded with 18, and of these 

 16 were clearly more sturdy in the light series, some of them yielding 

 examples half as large again as those in the darkened series. 



To the list of the island's fauna were added two birds : the Skua 

 (Lcstris imnatorliina) and the Spitzbergen form of Mormon ardicus. 

 Salmo alpinus was found in a lake. Special attention was paid to the 

 insects, which on isolated oceanic islands are of much interest to the 

 student of distribution. Holmgren, the only entomologist who had 

 previously visited Beeren Eiland, found there in 1868 only 9 species 

 of Diptera and 1 Hymenopteron. The Swedish expedition has 

 brought back a large collection of Diptera, not yet worked through, 

 4 Hymenoptera, 1 Neuropteron, and 2 Coleoptera. Holmgren found 

 only 2 Acarids ; the present explorers have at least 10. 



The chief object of the expedition was a detailed geological 

 investigation of the island. This has been successfully carried out 

 with valuable results. A large collection of fossil plants from the 

 coal-bearing series has been made ; numerous fossils have been collected 

 from all the marine strata, especially from the Trias. A geological 

 map of the whole island has been constructed. The stratigraphy and 

 tectonic geology of the whole island has been worked out, and there 

 have been discovered in the southern part of the island a series of 

 dislocations of Carboniferous age, which explain the topography of the 

 hilly regions and the varying development of the Carboniferous system 

 at various points. 



Mr. Gunnar Andersson and his companions are to be congratulated 

 on the amount of solid work they have accomplished, and we look 

 forward to the publication of the detailed results with much interest. 

 It should be mentioned that the proprietor of Beeren Eiland, Mr. 

 Lerner (who happens to be a German) has helped the expedition, and 

 hopes to welcome it back in some future year. 



The Difficulties of the Australian Museum. 



Despite the fact that the Australian Museum is in an unhappy 

 financial position, we enjoy reading the report of its Curator, because 

 Mr. B. Etheridge, junior, has a way of saying just what he thinks, and 

 this way — the essence of all great literature — is not permitted to 

 many officials in the mother country. Mr. Etheridge's vigour has 



