Prof. Nordensliibld — Ex^iedUion to Greenland. 425 



where plant-remains are found, fresh perpendicular sections are 

 exposed, it has become evident that these blocks have been washed 

 down from superjacent more recent Glacial strata (&), and in no wise 

 belonged originally to the Tertiary strata (a), in which they now lie. 

 The accompanying figures show this clearly : — 



Fig. 8, 



Fig. 8. — Section along a modern mountain-stream (c — c'). 



These Tertiary beds therefore do not afford any evidence that the 

 favourable climatic circumstances of the Tertiary era have been 

 interrupted by a separate Glacial period, which has subsequently 

 disappeared. The Cretaceous, Miocene, and recent sand-beds are in 

 outward appearance perfectly alike, and if a new elevation should 

 expose the sand-beds now in process of formation in many places at 

 the bottom of the Waigat, these, wherever they were destitute of 

 organic remains, would be very difficult to distinguish from the 

 Cretaceous sandbeds at Kome, or the Miocene beds at Atanekerdluk, 

 Isungoak, etc. 



It was formerly supposed that the whole Coal-formation of Green- 

 land belongs to the same geological period. Heer's important dis- 

 covery, that the beds at Kome and Atanekerdluk belong to two 

 widely different periods, showed that this is not the case. Subse- 

 quently a stone was found in Disko containing an impression of 

 a real Sigillaria. This stone, however, appears either to have been 

 brought hither as ballast or by ice. At least, we could not anywhere 

 in these parts discover beds belonging to the old Carboniferous 

 Period.^ The discovery of Heer was not only confirmed by our 

 researches last summer, but we also discovered plant-remains from 

 one or two geological horizons quite new for JN^.W. Greenland. 



In the description of these I follow the chronological order, be- 

 ginning with the oldest. 



I. — The Kome strata (older division of the Cretaceous formation, 

 according to Heer). 



By this name I designate a sedimentary, coal-bearing formation, 

 occurring here and there between Kome and Ekkorfat, on the line of 

 the coast of Noursoak peninsula, situated S.W. of Omenak. The 



^ Fossils really belonging to the Coal period have since (Expedition of 1871) been 

 found by Dr. Nauckhoff, at Kudliset. 



