Frof. A. E, Nordenskwld — Geology of Spitzbergen. 21 



and coarse-grained conglomerates, remarkable for the quantity of 

 oxide of iron they contain, whence their red colour is derived, which, 

 when the strata are broken down, communicates itself not only to 

 the streams which run down the sides of the hills, but also to the 

 water in the fiords which are surrounded by these strata. 



In Lomme Bay, the interior of Wijde Bay, Liefde Bay, Eed Beach 

 between Eode Bay and Liefde Bay, also in the interior of Ice Sound, 

 these strata occur as a completely homogeneous formation in a 

 geognostic respect, and nearly as poor in fossils as the strata in the 

 before-mentioned group. Yet Malmgren and I in the Expedition of 

 1868, and Nathorst and Wilander in 1870, had the good fortune to 

 find in them scales, dermal plates, and fin-rays of fishes, the shell of 

 an ostracod crustacean, coprolites, etc., which, however, cannot yet 

 with certainty be determined. 



The shores of Dickson Bay are taken up (with the exception of 

 several strata of gypsum and quartzite belonging to the next division, 

 which occur nearest the entrance of the bay) completely by these 

 strata, and they also occur strongly developed on the northern shore of 

 Klaas Billen Bay, also in the bottom of Ekman Bay. On the other 

 hand, they are generally wanting between the Hecla Hook strata and 

 the Lower Carboniferous series on the west coast. 



With reference to the occurrence of the Liefde Bay strata in 

 Klaas Billen Bay, I have received a private communication from Dr. 

 Nathorst to the following effect : — " Red and green clay-slate occur 

 immediately to the north of Skansberg in the neighbourhood of the 

 astronomically determined point. The slate has its dip first towards 

 the west, which quickly increases till the strata are perpendicular, 

 and then about 80° towards the north-east. Upon these strata rest 

 layers of Russian Island dolomite and Mountain Limestone with 

 nearly horizontal beds. In the neighbourhood of the astronomically 

 determined point fish-scales and an ostracod crustacean occur plenti- 

 fully in the slate. The red and green slates, which at first are covered 

 by Mountain Limestone near the level of the sea, are elevated higher 

 the further we advance into the fiord, till they finally form the mass of 

 the mountain. Immediately south of Mimer's Bay the slates dis- 

 appear all at once, and are replaced by a red sandstone with layers 

 of gypsum, raised up in the same manner as the slates. A profile 

 along the western side of Klaas Billen Bay would present somewhat 

 the following appearance." 



Fig. 2. — Profile of the "Western Shore of Klaas Billen Bay on both sides of Skans Bay. 



1. Liefde Bay strata, containing fisli-scales, etc., in the neighbourhood of a cairn 

 raised at the point the position of which was astronomically determined in 1864. 

 2. Russian Island dolomite, gradually passing into 3. Cy at hop hi/ Hum Limestone 

 or dolomite. 4. Layer of grey gypsum, at a full of white alabaster nodules and 

 containing mountain limestone fossils, though sparingly. 5. Diabase. 6. Skans 

 Bay. 



