94 Prof. O. Heer on the last Discoveries 



nizing an expedition to the pole for the present year, indicates 

 beforehand the period when the French tlag shall float at the 

 north pole, we can see nothing in snch an announcement but 

 pure humbug. On the other hand, it is likely enough that 

 men will succeed in reaching the pole by employing sledges 

 to perform the journey, as has already been attempted by 

 Parry from the north of Spitzbergen, and by Kane and Dr. 

 Hayes from Smith's Strait. 



But a matter very different in importance from this is the 

 scientific investigation of the ocean and land in the polar zone. 

 In my opinion, the Swedish expedition, by the rich collections 

 which it has brought together, has obtained much greater 

 results, and has contributed far more to the extension of the 

 horizon of our knowledge, than if it had brought back the 

 news that the ' Sophie ' had hoisted her flag upon the very 

 point that we call the north pole. 



These collections have not yet, properly speaking, formed 

 the subject of any work ; but what I have seen of them leaves 

 me no doubt that the Swedish expedition of last year will take 

 its place worthily by the side of those which preceded it, and 

 will even surpass them with respect to the important scientific 

 data Avhich it will furnish. Although organized without much 

 fuss, it evidences considerable activity, great skill, and high 

 scientific intelligence. It will thus renew in a brilliant man- 

 ner the old reputation for knowledge which the Swedes have 

 acquired in the study of natm*al history. Allow me to prove 

 this by indicating some of the results which we owe to it. 

 These belong, it is true, only to one of the directions of this 

 activity — the zeal with which they have collected fossil plants. 

 Of these M. Nordenskiold has sent me more than 2000 speci- 

 mens, which I only received a few weeks ago. To obtain a 

 perfect knowledge of such numerous materials, a much longer 

 time must be devoted to them ; nevertheless I may mention a 

 few facts which show in what manner the great revolutions 

 which have passed over our planet have been manifested in 

 Spitzbergen. 



As early as the Carboniferous period, dry land existed at 

 the spot now occupied by Bear Island. The plants collected 

 by MM. Nordenskiold and Malmgren belong to the lower and 

 therefore the most ancient beds of that formation. The plants 

 occur either in the coal itself or in the rocks which contain it. 



The principal types are Calamites, SigWaria^j and Lepido- 

 dendra^ accompanied by several ferns. These plants belong 

 for the most part to the same species as those contained in the 

 most ancient formation of the mountains of the Carboniferous 

 period in Europe; they are such as have been indicated in 



