68 PROP. O. HEER ON FOSSIL PLANTS DISCOVERED IN 



It is a very interesting fact that in Grinnell Land two twigs of 

 the Spruce (Pinus abies, Linn.) still covered with leaves were found. 

 I had already received single detached leaves from Spitzbergen ; with 

 them there were seeds of this species, and, further, there was also 

 found a scale of the cone (see my " Miocene Mora of Spitzbergen " in 

 the ' Flora foss. Arctica/ ii. tab. v. fig. 35-49) ; so that the species 

 could be determined with perfect certainty. "We therefore see that 

 our Spruce (Red Fir) was living during the Miocene period in Grinnell 

 Land as well as in North Spitzbergen, and at that time doubtless 

 extended as far as the pole, at least if any dry land then existed 

 there. In Europe the tree did not then exist ; hence very probably it 

 had its original home in the extreme north, and has thence extended 

 southwards. We first meet it in Europe in the Forest-bed of the 

 Norfolk coast, and in the interglacial deposits of lignites in Switzer- 

 land. At that time, therefore, it had come into our regions, and has 

 ever since formed a principal constituent of our forests. Its extreme 

 northern limit is now in Scandinavia, latitude 69 1° N. ; and it is now 

 spread over about 25 degrees of latitude, whilst during the Miocene 

 period it was limited to the Arctic zone. The case is quite different 

 with Taxodium distickum, the second species of tree which Miocene 

 Grinnell Land had in common with the flora of the present day ; for 

 during the Miocene period it extended from Central Italy up to 82° 

 N., and was spread over all portions of the northern hemisphere, 

 whilst at present it is confined to a comparatively small area. 



Tsuga forms a third subgenus of Pinus occurring in Grinnell Land, 

 to which we must refer the Pinus DicJcsoniana, Heer; small twigs 

 covered with leaves, and one seed, were found, as at Cape Staratschin. 

 The species resembles the American Hemlock- Spruce (P. canadensis). 

 To these must be added some large needles which seem to indicate a 

 Fir of the group of Pinus grandis and P. lasiocarpa. 



The Monocotyledons are represented in Grinnell Land by reeds 

 and fragments of leaves belonging to Phragmites ceningensis, a species 

 which has also reached us from Greenland and Spitzbergen, and shows 

 that the damp localities were covered with large reeds ; narrow leaves 

 with a midrib, which lie along with them, indicate a Carex ( C. nour- 

 soakensis, Heer), with which we are also acquainted from Greenland 

 and Spitzbergen. 



Of Dicotyledons Captain Feilden's collection contains 8 species be- 

 longing to 6 families— Salicinese, Betulacese, Cupuliferae, Ulmaceae, 

 Caprifoliaceae, and Nymphseacese. 



The Arctic Poplar (Populus arctica, Heer) is an old acquaintance, 

 which one can trace over the whole Arctic zone, and which is one of 

 its most abundant trees ; of the two species of Birch, one (Betula 

 prisca) is also abundant in high northern latitudes ; and the occurrence 

 of a pretty large piece of bark in Grinnell Land, and of a still larger 

 piece in Spitzbergen, shows that the species formed trees of consider- 

 able size. 



The second species of Birch from Grinnell Land {Betula Brongni- 

 arti, Ett.) is the only European species of plant from Grinnell Land 

 which was not previously known from the Arctic zone. 



