Prof. A. E. NordensJiioId — Geology of Spitzbergen. 257 



stone stratum, which probably forms a continuation of that just 

 mentioned. 



Between these two localities for Cretaceous plants there lies the 

 Taxodium bed, so extraordinarily rich in Miocene impressions of 

 plants, whose fossils have been described by Heer, in '' Die Miocene 

 Flora und Fauna Spitsbergens," Yet. Akad. Handl. B. 8, No. 7. It 

 is, however, very difficult to make out where the boundary ought 

 to be drawn between the Miocene strata and the Cretaceous strata ; 

 and it is possible that a considerable part of the greenish-grey sand- 

 stone, which forms the high ridge, rising to a height of 2000 feet, 

 between Green Harbour and Advent Bay, and which I have looked 

 upon as Miocene, has been deposited during the Cretaceous period. 

 These strata do not contain any fossils by which to determine with 

 certainty their age. The foot of the mountain itself is formed in all 

 probability of Jurassic strata. There occur in many places, for 

 example near the sea-shore between Advent Bay and Coal Bay, in 

 the precipitous shore -terrace, upwards of 1000 feet high (steep and 

 dangerous from the falling down of stones), inconsiderable horizontal 

 coal-seams, whose age indeed cannot with certainty be determined, 

 in consequence of the absence of fossils ; but the hard sandstone, 

 which incloses the coal-seam, corresponds so completely with the 

 sandstone at Cape Boheman, that there is a strong probability that 

 this is a continuation of the Jurassic strata occurring at the promon- 

 tory just named. 



IX. The Miocene Period. — Strata containing Miocene vegetable 

 impressions have been found in Spitzbergen, both in King's Bay 

 and in many places in Ice and Bell Sounds. At many of the 

 localities the strata belonging to this age are of limited extent, 

 inasmuch as they consist only of local formations deposited in 

 hollows between the high ridges formed of older rocks. At others 

 again, for example Heer's Mountain on Ice Sound, and Coal Mount 

 and Sundevall Mountain on Bell Sound, the high ridge itself is 

 believed to have been wholly formed during this period, and 

 perhaps this is also the case with a great part of the high ridge 

 between Ice and Bell Sounds. It is only possible, however, to 

 determine with perfect certainty those strata to be Miocene which 

 contain fossils belonging to that period. Such strata have been 

 found at the following places : — 



King's Bay.^ — The Coal Harbour. These strata have been already 

 completely described by Blomstrand and myself, and I will there- 



^ In " Die Miocene Flora und Fauna Spitsbergens von Oswald Heer," the follow- 

 ing species taken from this locality are mentioned : — 



Sphenopteris Slomstrandi, Hr. 



Equisetum arcticum, Hr. 



Ihuites Ehrensvdrdi, Hr. 



Juniperus rigida, Hr. 



Tinus Abies, L. 



Foacites Torelli, Hr. 



Naias stricta, Hr. 



With the exception of Equisetum arcticum, which forms the great mass of the fossil 

 plants of this locality, these species occur only in single examples. 



DECADE II. — VOL. HI. — NO. VI. 17 



Sagittaria hyperborea, Hr. 

 Iris latifolia, Hr. 

 Populus Richardsoni, Hr. 

 Nympli(Bites Thidensis, Hr. 

 Tilia Malmgreni, Hr. 

 Carpolithes oblongiis, Hr. 



