Prof. Ileer on the Miocene Flora of Greenland. 323 



Dublin Society. In order to obtain materials for a more thorough 

 investigation of the district, application was made to the British 

 Association at Nottingham by Mr. E. H. Scott, and a grant of money 

 was made to a committee for the furthei-ance of this object. Mr. 

 Whymper was one of the members of this committee ; and as he had 

 previously had the intention of visiting Greenland for the purjiose 

 of a geographical exploration, he consented to accept of the grant 

 conditionally on his being able to collect geological specimens. The 

 grant was afterwards most liberally increased by the Grovernment 

 Grant Committee of the Eoyal Society. Mr. Whymper engaged 

 Mr. R. Brown to assist in the work, and ultimately brought home a 

 large and valuable collection of fossil plant remains. 



The localities whence these were obtained were three in number — ■ 

 (1) Atanekerdluk, the original locality described in the Flora Arctica. 

 This place is situated on the mainland of Greenland, on the shore of 

 the Waigat Strait, in lat. 70*^ N. (2) Ujararsusuk. (3) Kudlisch. 

 Both these localities are on the island of Disco itself, on the opposite 

 shore of the Waigat to Atanekerdluk. Coal has long been worked at 

 various spots along this eastern shore of Disco, and more than sixty 

 years ago Sir Charles Giesecke noticed impressions of leaves in the 

 sandstone underlying the coal. 



The specimens on their arrival in Europe were sent to Prof. Heer 

 at Zurich, and on their return to London, a complete series, com- 

 prising all the figured specimens, was presented by the Committee 

 to the British Museum. 



The general conclusion to be drawn from the notes made on the 

 geology of the district is that on both sides of the Waigat the sedi- 

 mentary rocks are covered with Miocene deposits pierced by vol- 

 canic rocks, which appear in places as thick beds of basalt and trap. 

 The botanical results of the expedition are very valuable. Fourteen 

 species were discovered in Disco, among which Sequoia Couttsice, so 

 common in our own Bovey Tracey beds, is noticeable. The most 

 important find here was the cone of Magnolia, of which two speci- 

 mens were secured. Leaves referred to this plant had been pre- 

 viously found at Atanekerdluk, and the discovery of the fruit is con- 

 sequently very satisfactory. The number of species brought from 

 Atanekerdluk is 73, 25 of which are new to Greenland. Among the 

 most interesting of these are the flowers and fruit of a chestnut, 

 showing that the deposit containing them must have been in process 

 of formation in spring as well as in autumn. 



The Miocene plants discovered in Greenland have now reached 

 137 species, making 194: in all, belonging to the Arctic Miocene 

 Flora ; 46 of the Greenland species (one-third of the total number) 

 are also found in the Miocene of Europe. The beds are therefore 

 Lower Miocene. Four species are also met with at Bovey Tracey. 

 As regards the determination of the species. Prof. Heer says — 



17 species among the Greenland specimens are represented by 

 leaves and organs of fructification. 



10 species are represented by leaves in Greenland, their organs of 

 fuctification occur elsewhere. 



