448 PROFESSOR HEER ON THE EOSSIL FLORA OF NORTH GREENLAND. 
“ On the 23rd we resumed work, and by the close of the day had made a large collection 
of good specimens. It was my endeavour to select, as far as possible, perfect specimens 
of individual species, rather than tine slabs containing numerous species. Unfortunately 
a large number of the finest specimens were irremediably smashed in transit down the 
hill ; this was due much more to the brittleness of the specimens and the steepness of 
the descent than to carelessness. The natives indeed worked admirably. 
“ On the 24th we finished our work at this locality. A trench had been dug by this 
time twenty feet in length, to a depth of five feet, completely through the seam, and the 
section showed : — 
Feet. In. 
1. Stratum of fine sand, light grey colour 1 7 deep 
2. „ „ similar to No. 1, darker colour .... - 8 „ 
3. „ ,, fine white sand - 8 „ 
4. „ „ similar to No. 2 - 9 ,, 
5. ,, „ „ „ No. 3 - 6 ,, 
6. ,, „ yellow sand. 
“ The impressions of leaves were found for the most part in stratum No. 1, or upon the 
surface. They were also obtained from Nos. 2, 3, 4, but I believe not lower. Those 
found in the uppermost and upon the surface were ordinarily in hard clay, red in colour, 
due to oxide of iron. These did not suffer much by transportation ; but the surface had 
apparently undergone a careful scrutiny, and few very perfect specimens were obtained 
from it. The impressions in the softer and more brittle shales were obtained some 
depth below the surface ; these yielded the best specimens, but they suffered greatly 
in transit. Those found at the greatest depth were almost invariably in lumps of hard 
clay that fractured irregularly ; these differed from the others in being of an iron-grey 
colour. They have reddened since they have been exposed to the atmosphere. The 
trench was dug about mid-way between the extremes of the deposit, and examination at 
other points showed a similar arrangement. The hill at this part was mainly composed 
of sand, enclosing numerous thin seams of brittle indurated clay, red in colour, con- 
taining a good deal of iron, and of moderately fine-grained sandstones. 
“We were unable to find the £ perfect stem, standing 4 feet out of the side of the 
hill,’ spoken of by Captain Inglefield *, and it was unknown to the native^. It was 
said to have stood on the edge of a precipice in the ravine on the south of the hill, and 
it has probably been buried in a fall that appears to have taken place not very long ago. 
In the sides of this ravine, both above and below the leaf-deposit, numerous beds of 
lignite are exposed, at least one being of considerable thickness. I brought home from 
this bed a block 1 foot 9 inches in thickness, a portion of which has been analyzed in 
the laboratory of Mr. T. W. Keates of Chatham Place, with the following results : — 
* Private Journal of Captain E. A. Ingleeield, quoted in “A Report on the Miocene Flora of North Green- 
land, by Professor 0. JIeek,” 1866. Journ. Royal Dublin Soc. vol. v. p. 81. 
