572 
Reports and Proceedings — 
Near Discovery Harbour, wkere H.M.S. “ Discovery ” wintered 
in 1875-6, in about 81° 45' N. lat., and 64° 45' W. long., a bed of 
lignite, from 25 to 30 feet tkick, was found, resting unconformably 
upon tbe azoic scbists of wbicb Grinnell Land chiefly consists. The 
lignite was overlain by black shales and sandstones, tbe former con- 
taining many remains of plants ; and above these tbere were, here 
and tbere, beds of fine mud and glacial drift, containing skells of 
marine Mollusca of species now living in the adjacent sea. Tbis 
glacial marine deposit occurs up to levels of 1000 feet, indicating a 
depression and subsequent elevation of tbe region to at least tbis extent. 
Remains of 25 species of plants were collected by Capt. Feilden, 
and 18 of tbese are known from Miocene deposits of the Arctic 
zone. Tbe deposit is therefore no doubt Miocene. It bas 17 species 
in common witb Spitzbergen (78° 79' N. lat.), and 8 species in 
common witb Greenland (70° 71' N. lat.). Witb tbe Miocene flora 
of Europe it bas 6 species in common ; witb tbat of America 
(Alaska and Canada) 4 ; with that of Asia (Sachalin) 4 also. Tbe 
species found include 2 of Equisetum, 10 Coniferm, Phragmites QÜnin- 
gensis, Carex Noursoakensis, and 8 Dicotyledons, viz. Populus arctica, 
Betula prisca and Brongniarti, Corylus Macquarrii and insignis, Ulmus 
borealis, Viburnum Nordenskiöldi, and Nymphcea arctica. 
Of tbe Conifers, Torellia rigida, previously known only by a few 
fragments from Spitzbergen, is very abundant, and its remains sbow 
it to have been allied to tbe Jurassic genera Plmnicopsis and Baiera, 
the former in its turn related to tbe Carboniferous Cordaites, and 
among recent Conifers, to Podocarpus. Otber Conifers are, Thuites 
Ehrenswärdi (?), Taxodium distichum miocenum (witb male flowers), 
Pinus Feildeniana (a new species allied to P. strobus), Pinus polaris, 
/’. abies (twigs covered with leaves), a species of Tstiga ( Pinus 
Dicksoniana, Heer), and a white Spruce of tbe group of Pinus 
grandis and cariocarpa. Pinus abies, which occurs here and in 
Spitzbergen, did not exist in Europe in Miocene times, but bad its 
original bome in tbe extreme north, and tbence extended south- 
wards ; it is met witb in tbe Norfolk Forest-bed, and in tbe inter- 
glacial lignites of Switzerland. Its present northern limit is 691° 
N., and it spreads over 25 degrees of latitude. Taxodium distichum, 
on tbe contrary, spread in Miocene times from Central Italy to 
82° N. latitude, wbilst at present it is confined to a small area. 
Betula Brongniarti, Ett., is the only European species from Grin- 
nell Land not previously known from the arctic zone. 
Tbe tbick lignite-bed of Grinnell Land indicates a large peat- 
moss, probably containing a lake in which tbe water-lilies grew ; on 
its muddy shores stood tbe large reeds and sedges, tbe birches, 
poplars, Taxodia, and Torellice. Tbe drier spots and neighbouring 
chains of bills were probably occupied by the pines and firs, 
associated with elms and hazel-bushes. A single elytron of a beetle 
( Carabites Feildenianus) is at present tbe sole evidence of tbe exist- 
ence of animals in tbis forest-region. 
Tbe nature of the flora revealed by Capt. Feilden’s discoveries 
seem to confirm and extend earlier results. It approaches mucb 
