1766 The Zoologist— July, 1869. 



process of acclimatisation have I ever succeeded in getting it to live in the denser 

 fluid. Whelks and some oilier inollusks from the Baltic Sea are also killed by North 

 Sea water, but not so constantly as the echinoderm I have named ; while I have never 

 found any marine fish in the Baltic which will not live in North Sea water in aquaria. 

 The recorded instances in which truly fresh-water animals have permanently lived 

 in sea water are less numerous than those in which marine creatures have been known 

 to live in fresh water. I have already named two sticklebacks, and I have to add that 

 the common fre>h-water eel dues very well in marine aquaria in Hamburg. One very 

 curious example occure to me; there is a byssus-making fresh-water bivalve {Dreis- 

 sinia palymorpha) found abundantly around London, and sometimes choking up 

 London water-pipes. This shell is stated to have been introduced from Asia Minor 

 about fifty years ago, attached by its threads lo the bottoms of ships: and in this 

 manner it must have been dragged unharmed through thousands of miles of sea 

 water." 



Zoology of the Swedish Arctic Exploration. — Arctic explorations have been con- 

 ducted with much energy and success by other nations than our own. Four expe- 

 ditions have been carried on by Swedes, and an account of the fourth of these was 

 presented to the Royal Geographical Society at its last meeting, in a paper written by 

 A. P. Nordenskiold. The expedition had chiefly scientific objects, and it was at first 

 intended that some of its members should winter on Seven Islands to the north of 

 Spitzbergen. The ship, the Sofia, was fitted out at Carlscrona, and touched at Got- 

 tenburp, to take in the scientific members of the expedition. The Sofia started in the 

 beginning of July, 18(58, and on the 6th of that month landed at Bear Island. This 

 island has a desolute plateau from 50 ft. to 100 ft. in height. Its two chief hills are 

 ctlled Mount Misery and Vogelberg. Numerous birds are found «n the island. The 

 cliffs are precipitous, and there are mjiny small lakes on the plateau. Heaps of stones, 

 suggestive of moraines, are found : but the members of the expedition satisfied them- 

 selves that these stone heaps are produced by the action of frost and water, and not by 

 the effect of glaciers. A few cryptogams were the only vegetables found. The birds 

 of the island are already well known ; the chief additions to knowledge that were made 

 by this visit were with regard lo Marine Flora and Zoology. Several Brachiopoda were 

 brought from Bear Island. Coal, of an age not determined, was found ; and also 

 Calamitcs, Lepidodendra, See. On the 27th of July the expedition left Bear Island, and 

 went towards the south of Spitzbergen. Ice was met at South Cape ; and the Sofia 

 had to go to the west of Spitzbergen. In 186S the whole of the east of Spitzbergen 

 was inaccessible on account of ice. The Sofia ancliored in Ice-fiord, and interesting 

 facts were ascertained with regard to the geology of the fiord, which was already known, 

 but not very fully. Norwegian vessels go to Spitzbergen to find the walrus, and also 

 lo hunt the reindeer. Between two thousand and three thousand head of reindeer are 

 annually killed in Spitzbergen : for their maintenance there must be a considerable 

 extent of meadow land, and the fact that such great numbers are killed siigy;ests a 

 possibility of their immigration from Nova Zeinbla ; but the great distance of the latter 

 place from Spitzbergen renders this highly improbable. The water of the Ice-fiord is 

 clear and bealiful in summer, and the fields on the shore aie covered with poppies and 

 saxifrages. On the 13ih of August the Sofia left Ice- fiord, and went northward, look- 

 ing fur coal in King's Bay, where it was not obtained, and then going to Amslcrdain 



