1869.] Prof. Heer on the Fossil Flora of North Greenland. 331 



With the vegetable remains two land-insects were discovered. Of the 

 plants many species were inhabitants of marshy or moory ground, viz. 

 Phragmites, Sparganium, Taxodium, and Menyanthes, which are all indi- 

 cative of a freshwater deposit, as is also a Cyclas, of which mollusk one 

 valve was found. These facts, taken together with the absence of marine 

 forms, show the deposit at Atanekerdluk to have been a strictly freshwater 

 formation. 



After completing the examination of the mainland at this point, the 

 party crossed the Waigat, and landed on Disco Island, where they found 

 plant-remains at two localities, Ujararsusuk and Kudliset. 



Coal-seams are exposed at several points on the east and south coasts of 

 Disco ; but no specimens showing impressions of leaves, like those of Atane- 

 kerdluk, had ever been brought to Europe, except those obtained by Dr. 

 Lyall. However, Sir C. Giesecke, in his MS. journal, of which a copy is 

 in the possession of the Royal Dublin Society, mentions that he had noticed 

 such impressions. 



The coal has been worked at several points, if the rough operations which 

 have been carried on deserve the name of workings. It is at present only 

 obtained at the one spot, Ujararsusuk. The coal occurs interstratified with 

 sandstones and shales, which rest on trap. The fossils were discovered 

 among the debris brought down by the streams, and were traced up to a 

 bed of brown sandstone about 100 feet above the sea. 



At Kudliset, the deposits are very similar to those just described ; and 

 there also the fossils were found, in the first instance, in a torrent-bed. 



The shores of the Waigat were examined for some distance to the north- 

 wards, on each side of the strait, without any fresh discoveries being made, 

 and the party returned to Atanekerdluk. 



Mr. Wbymper, in concluding his report, says that the success of the 

 expedition has been "primarily due to the invaluable information given by 

 Herr C. S. M. Olrik, the Director of the Greenland Trade. Scarcely less 

 are our thanks due to Herr K. Smith, the present Inspector of North 

 Greenland, and to Herr Anderson, of Ritenbenk. Both of these gentle- 

 men gave much assistance at considerable personal trouble ; and without 

 their assistance it would have been almost impossible to obtain the collec- 

 tions.' ' 



The general conclusion to be drawn from the accounts of the succession 

 of strata &c. is that, on both sides of the Waigat, the sedimentary rocks 

 are covered by Miocene deposits pierced by volcanic rocks, which appear 

 in places as thick beds of basalt and trap. 



In his summary of the botanical results of the expedition, the author 

 announces the identification of fourteen species from Disco Island, among 

 which Platanus Guillelm<£ (Gopp.) and Sequoia Couttsice (Hr.) are the most 

 common. Of Magnolia Inglefieldi, a species originally identified by means 

 of leaves found at Atanekerdluk, two cones were found in the Disco beds, 

 thus corroborating the previous determination, and proving to us that 



2 b 2 



