Vrof. A. E. Nordenskibld — Geology of Spitzhergen. 119 



Stor Fiord. To judge from tlie beds at the latter place, the only 

 one that I know of which affords a comprehensive section of the 

 different strata belonging to this formation, the Jurassic strata of 

 Spitzbergen consist of — 



A. Marine Strata. — 1. (Lowermost) Clay-slate, very rich in pyrites, 

 in consequence of which the Belemnites (of the group Arcuali) 

 imbedded in large quantities in these slates are much incrusted. 



2. Limestone containing iron, yellow after exposure to the air, 

 rich in badly-preserved fossils. 



B. Consisting of a hard, nearly unfossiliferous sandstone, devoid 

 of marine organisms, but (at Cape Boheman) containing Coal-beds 

 and slates with impressions of plants. 



Strata belonging to the first division A. of the Jurassic formation 

 occur in Ice Sound at the following places : — 



a. Cape Staratschin. — The rocks along the shore, immediately west 

 of the ''sandstone comb." Black slates (1) standing vertically 

 and in some places much contorted. They are divided by the 

 " sandstone comb " (2) from the stratum containing Cretaceous fossil 

 plants at (3) ; and which about 4000 feet nearer the mouth of the 



3 2 4 1 



Fig. 10. — Shore rocks on the southern side of the entrance to Ice Sound. 



Sound, without any proper oryctognostic boundary, pass into Triassic 

 strata at (4). If we follow the shore further outwards, we find first 

 a sandstone, probably belonging to the Carboniferous formation, 

 next a Mountain Limestone stratum, of which also the high ridge 

 is formed, and finally strata belonging to the Hecla Hook formation. 

 Scarcely 2000 paces inwards again we have the richest locality 

 in Spitzbergen for varieties of Miocene plant-remains. The strata 

 belonging to the later formations are clearly hereabouts more 

 strongly dislocated than the Palaeozoic beds, which lie nearest them, 

 a remarkable circumstance, the cause of which I shall attempt to 

 state further on. It was here that the Jurassic formation of Spitz- 

 bergen was first discovered by Loven in 1837, and some few metres 

 hence the Chalk stratum by me in 1872. The division B of the 

 Jurassic formation is evidently absent at this place. 



b. Green Harbour. — In the region of this fiord the Jurassic strata 

 crop out at several places, though, in consequence of their poverty 

 in fossils, they can seldom be recognized with certainty. We have 

 an opportunity of examining a section of the strata at the banks of a 

 river, which falls into the sea on the west side near the entrance of 

 Green Harbour. Here, too, the strata stand nearly vertically, strike 

 N. and S., and consist of clay-slates, alternating with a grey lime- 

 stone, containing ill-preserved Belemnites and traces of bivalves. 



