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 Kung 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 Nathorst 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 Riksmuseum 
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 
Andrée, that the expedition failed. Since the Royal Geographical 
Society contributed £100 to the expense, we shall doubtless be able 
to read further details in its Jowrnal. 
