192 
Simmons, Remarks about tlie Relations of tbe Floras etc. 
rina does not allow to think of preglacial causes for its present 
appearance. 
Indeed there has been a great contest about tbe assuming 
of a postglacial landbridge over tbe northern Atlantic, and it 
is likely to be continued for sonie time yet. There bave been 
brought forward many arguments for and against tbe theory 
from geological as well as from botanical and zoological point 
of view. Geologists at present mostly seem averse to it, but 
as far as I can judge, they bave not produced any conclusive 
evidence against tbe possibility of tbe postglacial upbeaval of 
the tertiaiy landconnection. or at least considerable parts of it, 
whieh would be enough to form ways of immigration at least 
for the marine algae, probably also for tbe flora of tbe lands 
in question. Thoroddsen indeed bas lately (Ymer 190-1, li. 1) 
thought bt to give an advice to botanists to explain the immi- 
gration out from tbe present conditions, but as he has given 
no convincing proof of the impossibility of the landconnection 
and has besides shown himself to be totally ignorant about 
some of tbe most important botanical facts on which tlie oppo- 
site opinion is based, I cannot see that he is justified in giving 
any such prescription. 
As it cannot be thought of quoting all the many works 
wbere tbe question of the landbridge is treated, I will only refer 
to one more of tbe latest, that is ratber well in accord witb 
tbe view I bave adopted. It is tbe great memoir of Nansen 
about the bathvmetrical features of tbe northern seas (35). The 
result of tbe author, reacbed tbrougb comparison of a great 
many observations, regarding tlie sculpture of the bottom of 
tbe Atlantic and the Polar Sea, is that great oscillations of sea- 
level must be assumed in different geological periods, even so 
late as at least at tbe end of tbe iceage. How late an upbeaval 
bas taken place is not distinctly said, and to judge from part 
of a letter from tbe author, that Börgesen (10) has publisbed, 
he seems not to assume an emergence of land so late as during 
tbe warm postglacial time. But I cannot see, that bis researches 
contend against such a supposition, especially when viewed in 
Connection with the above mentioned Statements of Nat hörst. 
If the oscillations bave been syncbronical, we must assume, that 
about the same time when Spitzbergen was connected witb 
northern Europe and Asia, also great parts of tbe old submarine 
ridge were above sealevel, and as tbis took place in the warm 
period of tbe postglacial time, there must then have ruled tlie 
conditions required for immigration of a temperate flora north- 
ward. Moreover Nansen (35, p. 71, 75, 123 — 126) points out 
tliat tbe absence of a typical coast-platform at the Faeroes and 
most part of the coast of Iceland indicates a recent submer- 
gence. The loose basaltic rocks of tbose islands are very much 
subject to be cut down by tbe waveaction and still caves do 
only appear at present sealevel, postglacial marine Sediments are 
absent above the present sboreline of the Faeroes, which also 
