

NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 671 
gations with “poor and incomplete" instruments. During the period 
referred to, Professor Sars completed many of his finest researches an 
began his greatest single work, the ** Fauna Littoralis Norvegiæ.” 

GEOLOGY. 
EVIDENCES OF THE GULF STREAM IN HiGH LATITUDES. — Admiral C. 
Irminger of the Danish Navy, has for ais thirty years made observa- 
tions on this subject, and states that **it can be said with certainty that 
the current in the Northern Atlantic aes towards the north, even up to 
the Icy Sea." Between Fairhill and Greenland a constant drift or slow 
current of the ocean, to the north was observed; and the mean of obser- 
vations between 32? and 39? W. of Greenwich gave 3:2 nautical miles per 
day north.» This drift of the ocean in a northerly direction towards the 
coast of Greenland, is besides observable in the temperature of the water 
This drift, or slow current in the Atlantic, is the cause why the harbors 
of Norway, even farther than North Cape, and as far as the Fiord of 
severest winters, ships may go to Havneford and other places in the Faxe 
bay of Iceland, where they always will be sure of finding open sea. If 
this current to the north in the Atlantic did not exist, the ice from the 
sea around Spitzbergen would float down to far more southern latitudes 
than is now the case; and certainly the coasts of Norway, as well as 
d 
from the Icy Sea, and the influence of the ice would then be felt on the 
climate of the neighboring coasts. But this is not the case, and we know 
that the ice from the Icy Sea (Greenland ice) only can force its way to 
the southward between Iceland and Greenland, along the east coast o. 
Greenland, rounding Cape Farewell, and afterwards passing Labrador, 
Newfoundland, and farther south. 
Between Shetland and Cape Farewell there are found streaks of warmer 
water which are supposed to have their origin from the Gulf Stream. 
These may possibly be caused by the pressure of the current coming from 
Labrador, passing Newfoundland, etc., where,this current influences more 
or less the limits of the Gulf Stream, Syra its heated waters to 
nd a 
the 1 
reenland, etc., I believe also to be a proof that the cen Stream sends 
its waters far to the north. sees the tropical products artis 
found is the bean of the Mimosa scandens, which I found on the s 
of Iceland. — Scientific Opi 

