494 REPORTS OX THE STATE OF SCIENCE. 



various districts visited showed the presence of one or sometimes two 

 distinct forest beds of Belula odorata. The wood is large, some of the 

 trunks being 15 inches in diameter. As far as the observations go at 

 present, the sections within 100 to 200 feet above sea-level showed one 

 forest bed, tlioso at higher elevations showing two. Until more numerous 

 sections are taken over wider areas it is inipossible to say whether this 

 feature obtains in all places. 



The thickest peat beds are made up of Scirpus ccespitosus, and 

 Carices ; hardly any trace of Sphagnum has yet been met with in the 

 Icelandic peat mosses. 



The following section, taken near Havnafjord at 30 to 50 feet above 

 sea-level, is taken to illustrate the general sequence of plant remains 

 met with in other localities at about this elevation : — 



1. Loess, 3 feet. 



2. Peat formed of Scirpus cces^ntostis and Carices, 4 feet. 



3. Layer of Betula odorata remains, 2^ fest. 



4. Peat containing leaves of Dryas octopetala, Salix lanata, S. herbacea, 

 and numerous small Salix twigs, 1^ feet. 



5. Scirpus and Carex peat. 



6. Rock. 



A large amount of material was bi'ought back from the sections, 

 some of this has yet to be worked through. 



A full discussion of the various sections and the sequence of vegetation 

 preserved in the peat is reserved for the final report. 



The Committee asks for the renewal of the balance (27^.) of the grant 

 made in 1907 for the purport of completing this investigation by 

 examining other large peat areas in West Iceland, and for further 

 detailed work over those peat areas located and partly examined last 

 year. The Committee hopes to begin the investigation of the peat 

 deposits of Stainmore tliis autumn or next spring. 



The Committee further asks for a small additional grant of 10^. to be 

 made to the balance of last year's grant, to be applied to the same 

 purpose, as the expenses of the investigation— chiefly due to the expense of 

 labour for cutting sections in Iceland — are larger than at first estimated. 



UeseurcJi on South African Gycads and on WelwitscJiia. — Second Interim 

 Report of the Committee, consisting of Professor A. 0. Seward 

 (Chairman). Mr. R. P. Gregory (Secretary), Dr. D. H. Scott, 

 and Dr. W. H. Lang. 



1. The Welwitschia-material collected in Damaraland in 1907 (B. A. 

 Report, 1907, pp. 408-409) has been investigated. The results are ready 

 for publication, and it is exnected that they will appear before the end of 

 the year. 



2. The leisure of Professor H. H. W. Pearson, who is carrying out 

 the work, has been completely occupied with the work on Welwitschia, 

 and he has not personally proceeded further with the investigations on 

 Cycads referred to in the interim Report presented last year. Two corre- 

 spondents living in the Cycad region are continuing the field -observations, 

 especially with reference to pollination, and it is believed that definite 

 results will shortly be forthcoming. 



