ON THE PLANT-BEDS OF NORTH GREENLAND. 9 



The specimens from Disco occur in a coarse-grained sandstone which is at 

 times yellowish, and at times reddish-grey. They were collected at two 

 localities on the eastern side of the island, on the shore of the Waigat, in 

 lat. 70°, or thereabouts. One of these is named Kiidlisot (Kudliset), the 

 other is Ujararsusuk (Ujarasuksumitok), and lies some miles to the south of 

 Kudlisot. This place is also called Eitenbenk's coal-mine, because of a 

 considerable seam of brown coal which occurs in the sandstone, and is some- 

 times wrought by the colonists of Eitenbenk. 



The collection contains thirteen species from these two localities, viz. eleven 

 from Kudlisot, and six from Ujararsusiik ; four species are common to both. 

 Two of these may be described as the commonest trees of the district. One 

 is a conifer (Sequoia Couttsice), the other a plane. The collection contains 

 splendid specimens of the Sequoia; and with one t^ig from Ujararsusuk we 

 find the scales of the cone in good preservation, while among the delicate 

 twigs from Kudlisot there is an entire cone. The twigs and cones are 

 precisely similar to those which are so common at Bovey Tracey in Devon- 

 shire, and which have also been found in the Hempstead beds in the Isle of 

 Wight. This remarkable tree, which I have described as Sequoia Couttsice, 

 and which is closely allied to Sequoia f/ir/antea ( WeUingtonia gir/antea, Liudl.), 

 extends accordingly from the south of England to North Greenland, and has 

 ripened its fruit in the latter region. Not less remarkable is the plane, of 

 which the collection contains very fine leaves ; it resembles the American 

 plane, from which it is not easily distinguishable. 



Among the other plants from this localitj^ we may name a fern (Asj)i- 

 dium Meyeri), which is covered with fruit, a reed, the amber-tree of 

 Europe {Liquidamhar Europaum, Braun), a Christ-thorn (Paliurus Colomhi), 

 and a Dryandra (D. acutiloha), which was only known to occur in the Wetterau 

 and at Bilin, in Bohemia. 



The most remarkable discovery, without doubt, is that of two cones of 

 Maynolia. In my ' Elora Arctica ' I have already identified the leaves of a 

 Magnolia (M. Inglejieldi), and have shown that in respect of their size and 

 leathery texture they approach those of M. grandijiora, L. Now we find 

 these cones coming to light and confirming the identification of the leaves. 

 In addition to a cone of the same size as that of M. grandijiora, there is a 

 spray with a large bud, very similar to those of Magnolia. At Kudlisot 

 several fragments of leaves were collected. 



Of the thirteen species from Disco three are entirely new, and besides 

 seven had not previously been recognized as Greenland species. 



Atanekerdluk lies on the opposite side of the Waigat, on the peninsula of 

 Noursoak, and in the same latitude as Kudlisot. This locality has already 

 afforded the abundant collections which have been brought to Dublin and 

 London, and to Copenhagen and Stockholm, and which are described in my 

 ' Flora EossUis Arctica.' At this place Mr. Whymper has collected a great 

 number of plants, in fact the greater portion of his collection. The majority 

 of the species contained in the slabs were already known, as might have been 

 expected. The Poplars and Sequoias (S. Langsdorffi, Brgn.) are very abun- 

 dant, and the twigs and leaves at times cover the entire surface of the stone. 

 We can recognize the male and female flowers in addition to the cones. The 

 M'Clintockias, which are in themselves so remarkable, and the leaves of 

 oaks and hazelnuts are not rare, and are sometimes very well preserved. 



I have hitherto recognized sixty species ; but as many of the slabs have 

 not yet been worked out, it is probable that this number wiU be increased. 

 One-fourth of these, i. e. fifteen species, are new, or at least new to Green- 

 land, and of these the following deserve special notice ; — 



