306 Commun'ica lions respecting Rocks of Scandinavia. 



plcaifts every thing by existing facts and actions still going 

 on. An accurate study of the phenomenon, and the C0I7 

 lection of many individual fticts, will assist in throwing a 

 clear light on this subject. In Copenhagen there is pre- 

 served a large plate of limestone from Zealand, on which we 

 distinctly perceive three different directions in the striated 

 character, corresponding to the changes in the direction of 

 the current of the sea, which have taken place in consequence 

 of the gradual rising of the land. By the Sefstromean theory, 

 ^hich ascribes the phenomenon entirely to a sudden passing 

 cause, a similar change in the direction of the strise is left 

 unexplained ; for when the land suddenly rose up, and the 

 water ran off, the latter would do so by the shortest way ; and 

 to this one direction only of the striaj con-esponds. But the 

 Forchhammercan current in the bottom of the sea must al- 

 ways vary its direction according to the configuration of the 

 solid land, which would be changed by suddenly rising up : 

 thus it is not surprising to observe more than one direction 

 of the stri£e on the same spot. This specimen in Copenhagen 

 is therefore of great importance for the examination of the 

 theories of the northern phenomenon, and certainly possesses 

 attractions for us also, in enabling us to compare with it the 

 similar phenomenon of our own country. I have obtained a 

 cast of it in plaster of Paris, which Professor Forchhammer 

 has already had the kindness to forward to me here. 



My specimens, which partly I sent here fi'om Norway, and 

 partly brought with me, have all reached this in safety, and 

 are already arranged and numbered. They are all, of course, 

 intended for our museum. What I obtained by barter con- 

 sists simply of a small, but very pretty and exactly deter- 

 mined, specimen of fossiliferous transition rocks from the 

 island of Gothland, and from West Gothland : this I got from 

 Professor Lover in Stockholm, to ^^•hom I have promised 

 Swiss fossils in return ; also specimens of fossils in Danish 

 chalk, got from Professor Forchhammer in exchange for 

 Swiss chalk fossils. In regard to simple minerals, I have been 

 less fortunate. We cannot pui'cbase any ; for in the whole 

 of Scandinavia there is not a single dealer in minerals, and 

 even in Christiania and Stockholm people must procure the 



