144 MIOCENE CLIMATE. 



ber the conifers predominate. Two species of cypress are among 

 the commonest plants of Spitsbergen, which is the more remark- 

 able as one of these species, the swamp-cypress (Taxodium 

 distichum] still exists in the south of the United States, and 

 the other (Libocedrus Sabiniand), although extinct, is very 

 analogous to a species which is also living in America. The 

 Abietinese furnish two species still living namely, the red fir 

 (Pinus Abies, Linn.) and the mountain-pine (Pinus montana, 

 Mill.) : these have not yet been found elsewhere in Miocene de- 

 posits ; and their remains show us that Spitzbergen is probably 

 the original country of the swamp-cypress, as well as of the red 

 fir and the mountain-pine. Other species of pines and firs 

 are extinct, but have many relations with American forms. A 

 similar remark applies to two Sequoia, one of which (S. Nor- 

 denskjoldi, Heer) is peculiar to Spitzbergen and very common 

 there. Of the leafy trees the poplars are the most abundant. 

 Two species (Populus arctica and P. Richardsoni, Heer) were 

 spread over all the country between Bell Sound and King's Bay. 

 There are hardly any willows in the Spitzbergen Miocene. 

 Alders and birches are rare ; a hazel is rather more common. 

 Two oaks with large leaves (Quercus grcenlandica and Q. pla- 

 tania), a plane tree, a lime (Tilia Malm.greni) , and a walnut 

 (Juglans albula, Heer) are of great interest. A water-lily 

 (Nymphaa arctica) and a pondweed (Potamogeton Nordenskjoldi) 

 indicate a freshwater formation, the neighbourhood of which 

 was probably occupied by turbaries, on which grew Cyperi, 

 Carices, Spargania, and irids (Iris latifolia). 



Among these Miocene plants of Spitzbergen we do not find 

 any tree or shrub with evergreen foliage. The local Miocene 

 flora differs totally from the existing flora of Spitzbergen, and 

 has the character of that of the temperate zones, such as we 

 now observe in Northern Germany : it therefore indicates a 

 mean temperature of 8 Cent, (or 46*4 Fahr.). 



The Miocene flora of the western coast of North Greenland 

 (in 70 N. lat.), which is better known to Prof. Heer, has a 

 rather more southern character. Among 137 species discovered 

 there, Prof. Heer finds a Magnolia with persistent leaves (M. 

 Ingelfieldi), a chestnut (Castanea Ungeri, Heer), a Salisburidj a 



