72 Frof. A. E. Nordemldokl — Geology of Spitzhergen, 



These plants show undoubtedly that the black slates at Eobert's 

 Eiver belong to the Carboniferous formation, and the species hitherto 

 observed correspond to those of the group of the Coal-measures proper, 

 to the upper division of which they ought perhaps to be referred. 



The thickness of these strata I estimate at 1000ft. to 2000ft. The 

 same strata probably extend over Cape Ahlstrand to Yan Keulen's 

 Bay, and in that case they form the mass of the high mountains 

 situated at the Cape just named. The place was visited by me 

 immediately before we weighed anchor to return to Tromso, and 

 unfortunately on that account I could not then extend my exami- 

 nation far beyond the rocks on the shore. Probably the same strata 

 will be found at various other places, for example, on the southern 

 shore of Yan Mijen Bay, within Mitter Hook in Bell Sound, and to 

 the same division* it is probable that the sandstone and slate, with 

 inconsiderable traces of impressions of plants, which overlie the 

 Productus-hQ2i,xmg quartzite and limestone strata, belong. At this 

 place, loo, there is no trace of a coal-bed. 



In Ice Sound also we find, on the further side of tlie Fastness, a 

 quartzite, resembling the corresponding rock at Eobert's Yalley ; and 

 as it lies between the Mountain Limestone and the Triassic strata, 

 it is highly probable that the upper Coal-formation also occurs here. 



Y. Trias. — Strata belonging to the Alpine Triassic formation are 

 met with in Ice Sound partly at Cape Thordsen, partly south of the 

 entrance to the Sound, a little west of "the Fastness" on Cape 

 Staratschin. At Cape Thordsen the strata are nearlj^ horizontal. 

 Farther inwards on Dickson's Bay and Klaas Billen Bay they rest on 

 strata belonging to the Mountain Limestone formation, and are 

 overlain a£ the summit of the mountain partly by strata which 

 are probably Jurassic, partly by very thick beds of diabase. The 

 Triassic strata on Spitzbergen consist principally of black clay- 

 slate, interstratified with beds of limestone and coprolite strata, and 

 here and there containing immense perfectly round nodules of lime- 

 stone. At some of the localities the strata are rich in fossils, partly 

 of invertebrate animals, described by Dr. G. Lindstrom,^ partly parts 

 of skeletons of Saurians, on which a short memorandum has been 

 contributed by Mr. Hulke ^ to the Ofversigt of the Academy. 



Since the material, which formed the subject of these notices, was 

 described, the coprolite beds occurring here in rich abundance have 

 given rise to an attempt to utilize them for the preparation of 

 manure. With this view Ice Sound was visited in the summer of 

 1872 by a special Swedish Expedition, in which Dr. P. Oberg took 

 part as geologist. He had thus an opportunitj'- of making a further 

 collection from these interesting strata of a great number of fossils, 

 whereby the material formerly brought home was considerably 

 increased. Dr. Oberg's rich collections have not, however, yet been 

 described. 



^ G. Lindstrom. " Cm Trias- och Juraforsteningar fr§,n Spitztergen," Vet.- 

 Akad. Handl., B. VI. 1865. 



^ J. W. Hulke. " Memorandum on some Fossil Vertebrate Eemains collected by 

 the Swedish Expeditions to Spitzbergen in 1864 and 1868," Bihang till Vet.-Akad. 

 Handl., Band i. iS'o. 9. 



