THE NORWEGIAN POLAR EXPEDITION. 429 



These fossil plants tell the story of tremendous physical changes 

 which have produced very important modifications in climatic condi- 

 tions in the Arctic regions. The changes in the types of vegetable life 

 are apparently as extensive in high as in low latitudes. The lower 

 cretaceous flora is almost tropical, as is shown by the predominating 

 forms of this vegetation. Carboniferous formations obtain extensively 

 in the Arctic regions, as they occur in the Parry Archipelago, Spitzber- 

 gen and in Siberia. During the carboniferous age there was a great ex- 

 tent of land near the North Pole closely resembling that of the tem- 

 perate latitude of the same period, as is shown by the small number of 

 fossil plants that are peculiar to the Arctic regions. In the tertiary 

 period miocene flora flourished in Spitzbergen, where even the lime, the 

 juniper and poplars have been found near latitude 79 N. Then also 

 throve sequoias, which closely resemble trees growing in the southern 

 part of the United States. The miocene flora gives evidence of a very 

 great contrast between the climatic conditions at that epoch between 

 Europe and the Arctic regions. 



The cretaceous flora throws important light on the changes of 

 climate in the Arctic regions, and, as has been pointed out, the tropical 

 forms predominate in the vegetation of the Lower Cretaceous flora. 

 Heer's prediction that the plants found on the west coast of Spitz- 

 bergen would also be found on the East Greenland coast has been fully 

 verified. Miocene plants have been found from Spitzbergen westward 

 through Iceland and Greenland to Banks Land and in the Parry Archi- 

 pelago, and it is interesting to note that more than one fourth of the 

 Arctic plants are common to the miocene of Europe; in Greenland and 

 on McKenzie the percentage is nearly one half. 



In all probability, the paper which is of the highest popular interest 

 is the account of the birds by Eobert Collet and Dr. Nansen. The full 

 notes regarding Arctic birds testify fully to the fact that the observers 

 had in view the principal points of ornithological importance. These 

 comprise not only a mere record of the presence or absence of certain 

 species, but also additional observations regarding them in their Arctic 

 habitat. 



Certainly the reproach can not be brought against the expedition of 

 the Fram, which has obtained in the case of many Arctic expeditions, 

 that it has added nothing to ornithological Arctic data. 



The account of the birds, prepared by Mr. Eobert Collet, has been 

 compiled from the various journals of the expeditionary force, supple- 

 mented by verbal comments of Hansen. The memoir contains such 

 specific data as enable students to determine not only the general 

 character of the avifauna as one moves northward in the Siberian ocean, 

 but also the arrival and departure of the migrants and the presence of 

 stragglers. Among the birds of special interest which were observed are 



