& 



ON THE EXPLOBATIOX OF PKINCE CHARLES FORELAND. 307 



Geology. — The rocks of Prince Charles Foreland consist, first, of 

 a series of metamorphic crystalline schists, together with white and 

 reddish quartzites, possibly connected, as regards age, with some fine 

 earthy, laminated dark shales, in which we found no fossils. A hard 

 grey limestone, having a weathered rough surface, may also possibly 

 belong to this older series. Secondly, fossiliferous limestone, the fossils 

 obtained from which have been carefully examined by Dr. G. W. Lee, 

 of the Geological Survey of Scotland. Thirdly, flags of grey shale, 

 containing the remains of dicotyledonous plants of Tertiary age, which 

 Dr. Nathorst has been kind enough to examine and determine. The 

 fossiliferous limestone has proved highly interesting, the fossils belonging 

 to some horizon of the Carboniferous system, or possibly the Permo-carbo- 

 niferous, whilst the others are Permian. 



Fauna. — The mammals associated with Prince Charles Foreland and 

 its seas are the Greenland, finner, bottlenose, and white whales ; the 

 Greenland whale being very scarce. The walrus was not seen by the 

 Scottish Expedition ; the only seals seen were Phoca harbata and 

 foetida in small numbers. On the land Ui'sus maritimus bones and fresh 

 footprints only were seen, and two reindeer in 1906 ; there are many blue 

 and arctic foxes. 



Of the birds there are twenty-eight species, the most notable being 

 Xevia Sabinii, Pagophilia eburnea, Colymbus glacialis, Alca tarda, 

 Calidris arenaria (breeding), and Somateria spectahilis. 



Flora. — There are fifty-five species of phanerogams, one fern, one 

 equisetum, one lycopod, nineteen mosses, and four liverworts. Mr. R. N. 

 Rudmose Brown points out that the flora is a pui'ely European one. 



Climate. — The temperature is high for so high an altitude, doubtless 

 on account of the warm and open sea to the westward, which is mostly 

 free of ice for four to six months. A dense canopy of clouds almost 

 continuously covers the mountain tops, and often comes as low down as 

 100 feet from sea level, and not infrequently to sea level. Prince Charles 

 Foreland beai-s the brunt of the westerly weather and protects parts of 

 the mainland to the east, which consequently are blessed with far more 

 sunshine and less cloud. 



The interest of this survey lies in the fact that Prince Charles 

 Foreland has been known for more than three hundred years, and has 

 never been surveyed. Its uncharted coast has been a difiiculty and 

 danger to navigators especially on account of prevailingly foggy, and often 

 windy, weather. The quantity of material from shipwrecks on the 

 island tells a vivid tale of the past. These are sufficient reasons to 

 account for the island not having been surveyed previously, as one often 

 has to wait days, and not infrequently weeks, on account of rain and 

 snow, wind and fog, without doing anything. The country is very rough 

 for travelling over, which adds another obstacle. Captains, being timid 

 of its reefy and unknown coast, keep a wide berth, and this makes landing 

 and leaving difficult. The survey of the seas around this island is the 

 next important part of the work, as well as the further study of the 

 geology, botany, and natural history of the island and seas adjacent. 



X 2 



