in the extreme North. 87 



The hazel and the sumach, the buckthorn and the holly, 

 the guelder-rose and the whitethorn {Crataegus) probably 

 formed the thickets at the borders of the woods ; whilst the 

 vine, the ivy, and the sarsaparilla climbed over the trees 

 of the virgin forest, and adorned them with green garlands. 

 In the shadow of the woods grew a profusion of ferns, which 

 covered the soil with their elegant fronds. 



The insects which gave animation to these solitudes are not 

 all lost. The impressions of these which have reached us 

 show that little Chrysomelas and Cistelidse enjoyed themselves 

 in tlie sun, and large Trogositse pierced the bark of the trees, 

 whilst charming Cicadellae leaped about among the herbage. 



This picture is not a dream of the imagination. Plants and 

 animals, all have passed under my eyes. Of several species of 

 trees only the leaves had previously been brought from Green- 

 land, and it was from these that we classified them ; now the 

 fruits also have been found, which have confirmed our deter- 

 minations. Thus two fruits of Magnolia have been discovered, 

 as also the fruits and flowers of the chestnut-tree. The chest- 

 nuts, as in the species now living, are surrounded by a spinous 

 envelope, in the midst of which there are three fruits. In all, 

 we have received from this part of Greenland 137 species of 

 plants, 32 of which were discovered by Mr. Whymper. 



We still know this ancient flora only from the remains 

 collected upon a few points of northern Greenland ; for hitherto 

 a narrow band of this country along the sea-coast has alone 

 been explored. The German expedition of last summer ought 

 to have thrown a new light upon the eastern coast. It might, 

 in fact, have solved a very interesting question, if, landing at 

 70° N. lat., it had set to work at the investigation of tlie rich 

 deposits of fossil plants and animals discovered by Scoresby, 

 the specimens from which were lost before being submitted 

 to scientific examination. The expedition reached land at 

 73° N. lat. ; but great masses of ice rendered the coast unap- 

 proachable at this point, and the navigators only saw Green- 

 land from a distance. To make up for this, they made their 

 way by Hinlop's Strait to Spitzbergen, exploring that country 

 and advancing to 81° 5' of north latitude. The scientific re- 

 sults of this expedition have not yet been published*; but 

 accounts of the voyage have appeared in so many journals 

 and periodical publications, that I may suppose them to be 

 known. I pass therefore without further delay to the polar 

 expedition which the Swedes attempted last summer. 



* According to a communication which I have received from Dr. Peter- 

 mann, no fossil plants were found. 



