INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
39 
These localities are on or near 70° N. Spitzbergen 
also has yielded a rich Miocene flora. These floras 
indicate a climate as warm as the temperate, or per¬ 
haps even the temperate parts of Europe at the 
present time. Professor Heer believes that extensive 
forests were spread over all the North Polar lands 
during the Miocene period. Dr. Hooker infers from 
the present remarkable distribution of the Arctic 
plants that they migrated across the Polar region at 
a time when the warmth was much greater than now. 
An examination of the plants of the Polar lands, dis¬ 
covered and undiscovered, present and past, would 
enable botanists to found their conclusions on a 
broader and safer basis than they can now. The 
work that has already been done * is a strong induce- 
ment to continue the research and render this region one 
O 
of the most interesting and instructive in the world. 
Another branch of science which would be greatly 
advanced by Polar research is terrestrial magnetism. 
The magnetic needle, as is well known, points to the 
magnetic North, or Pole, which Pole lies considerably 
to the south of the earth’s Pole. In 1830 Sir James 
Boss discovered it in 70° 5' 17" N., and 96° 46' 45". 
It is also constantly shifting its position from E. to 
W. and from W. to E., within certain limits, and 
* See list of miocene flora and- fauna given in tlie body of the 
present work. 
