On the Geology of Franz Josef Land. 507 



Among the pebbles and boulders in the drift, and scattered about 

 in the sandpit, were granites from Eskdale and the South of Scotland, 

 small flints, and local and Welsh rocks identified by Mr. Ruddy as 

 derived largely from the head of the Conway valley. Trie base of 

 the sand is not exposed, but the author has no doubt that it is 

 geologically above the grey till with Welsh boulders. 



At Groes and Old Colwyn a -typical marine-drift sand,' with 

 well-rounded quartz- grains, also occurs, at one place possibly 60 

 feet thick, and at another resting on ' marine brown boulder-clay.' 

 The marine sands of Groes, Old Colwyn, and the Yale of Clwyd 

 ' lie on the east side of their respective valleys, and the marine 

 boulder- clays to the greater extent on the west side,' while the 

 marine drift has accumulated as bars near the mouth of the valleys. 



3. ' Observations on the Geology of Franz Josef Land.' By 

 Dr. Reginald Kcettlitz. 



This paper opens with a detailed description of the geography 

 aud geology of various portions of the archipelago. 



The basaltic rocks occur in tiers from 10 to 70 feet high, and 

 range to a height of 1300 feet above sea-level. The associated and 

 interbedded rocks consist of shale, sandstone, and basaltic tuff. The 

 stratified rocks are not appreciably altered by the heat of the basalt, 

 which is often vesicular both at the base and summit of the tiers. 

 From this and other evidence the author concludes that many of 

 the sheets are contemporaneous flows, and that as the fossil plants 

 and ammonites are of Jurassic age, some of the lavas date back to 

 Jurassic time. Dykes, sills, and necks are also described. 



The Jurassic rocks consist of shales and sandstones ; they have 

 yielded ammonites and belemnites, a portion of a specimen of 

 A. Lamberti having been found embedded in ' basaltic tuff.' Pebbles 

 of radiolarian chert have also been found embedded in these rocks, 

 and a granite-block, mentioned by Payer as having been seen em- 

 bedded in an iceberg, is believed to have come from the same source. 



The raised beaches are very numerous, aud occur at various 

 heights, from just above sea-level to 287, 310, 340, and even 

 410 feet, drift-wood and bones of seals, walrus, and whales having 

 been found on them. On Cape Mary Harms worth twelve beaches 

 are seen in a series one above another. The entire skeleton of a 

 seal was found on the summit -plateau of Cape Neale, together with 

 waterworn stones, at a height of 700 feet above sea-level. The 

 highest waterworn pebbles noted were found at 1111 feet on Cape 

 Flora. In some cases floe-ice at sea-level becomes covered over 

 and preserved by gravel heaped upon ir. by the sea ; and some of the 

 raised beaehes seem to consist of a similar mixture of ice and 

 gravel, as is proved by the formation of pitfalls in them where the 

 ice melts. Ice-masses are also sometimes preserved under taluses, 

 avalanches, and slips. 



The ' ice-cap ' is probably not so thick as is generally supposed, 

 and it has little downward movement. It forms domes on the summits 

 and plateaux, but it seems to be a mere mantle on the terraced 

 slopes, as it is ridged and dimpled, and during warm seasons raised 

 beaches and terraces are thawed-out under the ridges. Com- 



