THE GEOLOGIST. 



JUNE, 1861. 



PROJECTED EXPLORATION OF ICELAND BY THE 

 ALPINE CLUB. 



We are glad to find this interesting and little-known country is 

 likely to be visited by some of the members of this enterprising 

 club. The address recently delivered by the Vice-President, Mr. 

 William Longman, now lies before us, illustrated by a neatly-executed 

 map of the wild volcanic island he seeks to bring, in a special 

 manner, before scientific notice. It is quite surprising to think that 

 a country so rich in the physical phenomena of moving glaciers and 

 active volcanos has "never been explored or even visited" by any 

 traveller who has made a study of such great causes of surface- 

 aspeot. Certain work has, however, been done, and what records of 

 it we have been able to meet with are appended to this article. 

 Most of them are books available for study, and for this special 

 work perusal of them will be useful, as no doubt a goodly company 

 of physical geologists will answer Mr. Longman's call ; for existing 

 glacial conditions in Iceland are more likely to aid them in learning 

 the operations of the post-pliocene glacial eras, which in Britain 

 have left such abundant records of their existence. 



No one who has read the last " Edinburgh Paper," by Mr. Robert 

 Chambers, " Ice and Water," can fail to see how greatly our com- 

 prehension of the recent arctic condition of the British Isles will be 

 VOL. iv. 2 B 



