504 ’ General Notes. [June, 
those of the Pennine chain, Probably from Petchora Land to 
Spitzbergen was once continuous land. Sir Roderick Murchison 
had proved the existence of carboniferous rocks in Petchora 
Land and the Ural chain, but until he himself examined the spec- 
imens from Novaya Zemlya, they were not known to exist in that 
island. Since Sir George Nares returned, the complete flora of 
those parts had been described; but unfortunately nothing had 
been done on the northern coast of Greenland to the eastward, 
and an exploration of that district and of Franz-Josef Lan 
would give clearer information as to the geological history of the 
Polar regions, which he felt certain were largely composed of car- 
boniferous rocks. By placing the several acquisitions together 
and comparing notes on the Ural chain, Petchora Land, Novaya 
Zemlya, Franz-Josef Land, and Spitzbergen, a complete history ° 
could be obtained of those rocks which stretched away to the 
north of Asia and America.” 
“The great bulk of the collection brought home by Sir George 
Nares was carboniferous, but the coal found was of Miocene age 
and thirty feet thick. No one could doubt this if he knew the 
plants contained in the shales, &c.” * * * * “Inthe whole 
region examined by Sir George Nares, none of the carboniferous 
corals discovered could have lived in water less than 77°, 7 8° or 
80° of temperature, so that most of the rocks of which the Polar 
regions were composed must have been formed in tropical seas. 
It was well known that large Enaliosaurian reptiles (Ichthyo- 
sauri) had been found in Spitzbergen. There were other things 
brought back by Mr. Leigh Smith, which he (Mr. Etheridge) 
could not yet make out, but they appeared to him to be older 
still. With regard to the great lava flows, they appeared to sd 
nine in succession, most likely occurring about the same time a 
that of the Giant’s Causeway, in Ireland, in the Miocene period, 
or at about the same age as the thick bed of coal found in Smith 
Sound. These lava flows are perfectly horizontal for many miles, 
showing that their condition now was just as formerly.” ‘ 
Tue Turrp INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL CONGRESS. — We 
have received the programme of the next meeting of the Congress, 
to be held at Venice on September 15th of this year, and to cone 
tinue to the 22d. There are three classes of members: sub- 
scribers paying fifteen francs, donors giving not less than see 
francs, and honorary members nominated by the committee ° 
i The sections of the Congress are: I. pip ag 
cal geogra , geod rograpnhy., * 
Ph geography, geodesy and topography. U1. Hydrog ates ical 
