1899] DIFFICULTIES OF THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 319 



and further information regarding it will be found in our news-pages. 

 It would be a serious loss to the colony should the activities of the 

 staff continue to be restricted, and should the valuable collections 

 suffer yet further neglect. 



The Antarctic in the Arctic. 



The Swedish expedition to the coast of East Greenland, under the 

 leadership of Professor A. G. Nathorst, on board the ss. Antarctic 

 (Captain Forssell), returned to Stockholm in September, having ac- 

 complished some excellent work. The ice at first was found to be 

 heavy, so some time was spent in exploring Jan Mayen Island. As 

 soon as the ice permitted, an advance was made in the direction of 

 Shannon Island ; but here again the ice prevented a passage from 

 being forced, and the Antarctic steamed south to Scoresby Sound. 

 Various observations and corrections of the chart were made here, 

 Hurry Inlet being found closed to the north. The expedition then 

 returned north, and this time succeeded in entering Franz Josef Fjord. 

 This was found to extend very much less into the interior than shown 

 on Payer's chart, and Petermann's Peak also was found to have about 

 half the height assigned to it by Payer. To make up for this, the 

 expedition discovered a new fjord system, with three branches, stretch- 

 ing south from the mouth of Franz Josef Fjord, to a distance equalling 

 that of the great Sogne Fjord in Norway. To this Professor Nathorst 

 has given the name Ivung Oscar Fjord. Eight weeks were spent in 

 investigating its shores and those of Franz Josef Fjord, and a map of 

 them was made on the scale of 1 : 200,000. Among the interesting- 

 discoveries reported by Professor ISTathorst is that of Devonian rocks 

 with armoured fish. Silurian fossils also have been found. Several 

 individuals of that curious animal, the musk-ox, were seen and shot. 

 The flesh was found to have a muttony flavour with no unpleasant 

 scent, and Professor Nathorst suggests the acclimatisation of the 

 animal in northern Sweden. Polar bears and a few Arctic foxes also 

 were seen by members of the expedition. Large collections of marine 

 animals were made and are now being worked up in the Eiksmuseum 

 at Stockholm. Among the notable specimens is one of the pennatulid, 

 Umbellularia, with a stem over six feet long. It was only in the 

 accomplishment of its ostensible object, the finding of some trace of 

 Andree, that the expedition failed. Since the Eoyal Geographical 

 Society contributed £100 to the expense, we shall doubtless be able 

 to read further details in its Journal. 



