594 NOTES ON SPITZBERGEN. 



YI. Miocene Formation. 



A freshwater formation in Bell Sound, 1,500^ feet thick, 

 and consisting of conglomerates, shale, limestone, and 

 sandstone, almost devoid of animal fossils, but containing 

 coal-seams and fine impressions of Plants. 



VII. iBecent Deposits. 



Deposits belonging to the glacial period, present glacier 

 detritus, &c. 



If Pliocene or Post-Tertiary beds exist at Spitzbergen, they 

 are most likely to be met with either in the interior of the penin- 

 sula between Ice vSouud and Bell Sound, the only tract of any 

 extent uncovered by ice, or on the eastern shore of Barents Land 

 and Stans Foreland. A complete exploration of the first-named 

 place, especially, would be of great interest. Doubtful traces of 

 Post-pliocene beds were found on the shore south of the entrance 

 to Bell Sound. 



VII. — Ch. Martins, Le Spitzberg : Tableau d'un archipel a 

 I'epoque glaciaire. " Bullet. Soc. Geolog. de la France, ser. 2, 

 vol. xxii. pp. 336-348. 1865. 



VIIL— J. C. Wells, '' The Gateway to the Polynia ; A 

 Voyage to Spitzbergen." 8vo., London. 1873. 



In the Appendix to this book there are some notes on the 

 Natural History of Spitzbergen. Of Insects it is said — 



There are no Coleoptera in Spitzbergen ; while 21 species are 

 recorded as having been found in W. Greenland. 



Of Ilymenoptera there are 13 species, and only three have 

 been noticed in W. Greenland. In the latter country Lepido- 

 pteraare relatively abundant, 26 having been described; while but 

 one specimen has, as yet, been noticed in the former. 



Of the Diptera, however, there are 49 in Spitzbergen, and only 

 26 in W. Greenland ; and no Hemiptera, against four W.-Green- 

 land species. 



At pp. 351-355, the following resume of Prof. O. Heer's re- 

 searches on the Miocene Plants, &c., of Spitzbergen is given. 



The fossil plants belonging to the Miocene jDeriod of Spitz- 

 bergen have been ably treated by the distinguished naturalist, 

 Oswald Heer, in the " Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Academiens 

 " Handlingar," for 1869. The results fully prove that a warmer 

 climate existed in Spitzbergen when these plants fiourished. In 

 his list of the Miocene Flora he identifies — 



3 species of Fungi. 14 species of Grasses. 



1 



>> 



Algae. 



10 





Cyperaceae. 



1 



,, 



Mosses. 



1 





Rushes. 



2 



,) 



Ferns. 



2 





Aroideae. 



1 



» 



Equiseta 



1 





Typhacea. 



5 



j> 



Cypress. 



2 





Alismaceae. 



,7 



» 



Poplar. 



2 





Tride^e. 



3 



)> 



Taxinieae. 



4 





Salicineae. 



1 



» 



Ephedrinese. 



3 





BetulacejD. 



