64 Prof. A. E, NordensMold — Geology of Spit zh erg en. 



Some of these sj^ecies perhaps may be found in Ice and Bell 

 Sounds. Hitherto there have been found in these places only — 

 1)1 Ice Sound (within Gip's Hook) : ^ 



1 . Calamiles radiatus, Brgn. 



2. Lepidodendron Veltheimtanum, Sternb. 



3. Stigmaria Jlcoides, Sterub. Beautiful specimens, witb rootlets attached. 



4. Cyclostigma NatJiorsti, Heer. 



5. Fruit of a Rhizocarpum. 



In Bell Sound (north shore, immediately outside Axel's Islands) : 



1. Calmnites {^ixohohlj radiatus, Brgn.). 



2. Ktwrria imbricata, Sternb. 



B. Mountain Limestone Proper. — Both the Hecla Hook and Liefde 

 Bay strata, and the strata included in the foregoing division, consist 

 of fresh- water formations, devoid of any trace of marine fossils ; 

 which proves that Spitzbergen, during the immense period of 

 time in which these strata were deposited, formed a considerable 

 continent. Later, however, these circumstances were altered, inas- 

 much as that part of the globe was again covered by sea, from 

 which, with onl}'- an inconsiderable, perhaps local, break (the strata 

 of the Coal-formation in Bell Sound), during a long sequence of 

 geological periods, strata of great extent, containing marine fossils, 

 were deposited. The oldest and most extensive of these strata be- 

 long to the Mountain Limestone formation, which in this part of the 

 polar regions is specially developed and rich in fossils. 



The most remarkable localities are Bear Island, Mount Misery, 

 and the neighbourhood of Tobieson's hut, on the north side of the 

 island. I have given an account of the stratification in the above- 

 quoted treatise of Heer. The Mountain Limestone fossils from this 

 place were discovered first by Keilhau, and a few species are de- 

 scribed by von Buch.^ 



South Cape. — Hence Keilhau brought home some few fossils, 

 which are preserved in the Museum at Christiania. The fossils de- 

 scribed by Toula, which were collected by Payer, are also from this 

 locality. 



Sorn Sound. — According to Professor Hofer, extensive Mountain 

 Limestone strata occur here in the region of Burger Harbour, and 

 on the western side of Marien-Spitz.^ 



Bell Sound — Some Mountain Limestone fossils from this locality 

 were collected by Robert during the French Expedition in the Re- 

 cherche, and are described by von Koningk,^ and figured in the large 

 atlas of the voyage of the French Expedition. Lament also collected 

 Mountain Limestone fossils in this fiord. These are described by Salter 

 in the Appendix to Lament's account of his voyage.^ During the 

 Swedish polar expeditions I have repeatedly visited this fiord, and 

 collected a great many Mountain Limestone fossils, part from Axel's 



1 Heer, Beitrage zur Steinkohlen Flora der artischeu Zone, Vet. Akad. Handl. 

 B. 12, No. 13, 1874. 



2 Abb. der Akad. d. "Wissenscb. zu Berlin, 1846, s. %5. 



^ Sitzungs Ber. der K. Akad. d. Wissenscb. in Wien, Nov. 1873 ; June, 1874. 

 * Bulletin de I'Acad. Roy. de Belgique, torn. xiii. (No. 6), and torn. xvi. (No. 21). 

 ^ Season witb the Sea-horses, by J. Lamont, London, 1861. 



