GRINNELL LAND BY CAPTAIN H. W. FEILDEN. 67 



togamia we find only a couple of Equiseta, of which one species 

 is Equisetum arcticum, which is found not uncommonly in King's 

 Bay, at Spitzbergen (see my * Plora foss. Arct.' ii. p. 31). It 

 flourished probably, like its nearest ally Equisetum limosum, Linn., on 

 the muddy shore of a sea or a river. In Grinnell Land as in Spitz- 

 bergen, the Coniferae hold the first place. Ten species of these occur, 

 belonging to four families — Taxineae, Cupressineae, Taxodieae, and 

 Abietineae. The Taxineae are represented by the remarkable genus 

 Torellia, of which the species Torellia rigida, Heer, must have been 

 very abundant. This was previously known only from Cape Starat- 

 schin in Spitzbergen, where only a few fragments of leaves were 

 found ; now from Grinnell Land we have a great number of perfectly 

 preserved leaves, which confirm the conclusions previously arrived 

 at. It is, in fact, a conifer most nearly allied to the genera Phosni- 

 copsis and Baiera of earlier periods. The leaves have the same form 

 and texture as those of the Phcenicopsis of the Brown Jura (Ooli- 

 tic) ; they are also traversed by numerous longitudinal nerves, and 

 arranged in clusters. They differ, however, in having a channel 

 enclosed by a rib. As the Phoenicopsis of the Jura forms a link with 

 the Cordaites of the Carboniferous, so, on the other hand, it joins the 

 Torellia of the Tertiary. This genus, however, is confined to the 

 most northern portions of the globe. Amongst living Coniferae Po- 

 docarpus (group Nageia), which genus was united by Parlatore with 

 the Taxineae, should stand next to Torellia. 



The Cupressineae are represented in Grinnell Land only by a 

 Thuites (T. Ehrensivardi, Heer ?), fine twigs of which were found in 

 King's Bay, Spitzbergen (lat. 79° N.), but has only reached us from 

 Grinnell Land in the form of one small fragment which cannot be 

 determined with perfect certainty. On the other hand, the leaf- 

 covered twigs of Taocodium distichum mioceenum, which is one of 

 the most abundant plants of Grinnell Land, and appears in many 

 varieties, are most beautifully preserved. Fortunately we have it 

 in a state of bloom from this place as from Cape Staratschin, viz. the 

 male flowers, which completely correspond with those of Spitzbergen. 

 They show that this remarkable tree, now existing only in the south 

 of the United States and in Mexico, lived and bloomed during the 

 Miocene period almost as far north as 82° ! 



In Grinnell Land, as in Spitzbergen, the genus Pinus possesses the 

 greatest number of species. These belong to 4 subgenera : 2 species 

 belong to the Pines (Pinus in the strict sense of the word), 1 to the 

 Spruce Firs, 1 to the Pitch-pine, and 1 to the Tsuga group. Of the 

 Pines one species (Pinus Feildeniana, Heer), is represented by well- 

 preserved seeds and by remains of needles which are very slender. 

 This species is closely allied to Pinus strobus, L., and may be com- 

 pared among fossil species to P. stenoptera, Heer, from Spitzbergen, 

 and to P. ihidensis, Steenstrup, from Iceland. Pinus polar is, Heer, 

 is a second species, the needles of which are abundant. These 

 needles are also known from Spitzbergen and Greenland. Excel- 

 lently-preserved seeds of this species were discovered by Nordenskiold 

 in Spitzbergen. 



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