172 . GEORGE B. RIGG 



railway grade. There are numerous places of 100 acres or more 

 in extent that have no drainage at all except seepage to small 

 and distant streams. 



Sphagnum is fairly common on the soil of this tudra but is 

 dominant on only comparatively small areas. Several other 

 mosses occur, forming the surface layer over considerable areas. 

 A good deal of the surface layer of decaying organic matter is 

 peaty in its nature. Where sphagnum is dominant it has formed 

 peat bogs with their characteristic xerophytic flora. 



The conditions that cause bogs here are, as usual, the presence 

 of an abundance of sphagnum and the lack of drainage. 



The following lists of plants are not complete, but include the 

 ones that seemed most characteristic of these habitats at the time 

 of our visit. Vegetation was in its late winter condition at that 

 time. There was still much snow in the forest but none on the 

 heath. No doubt many other plants would be found in mid- 

 summer. 



Generally distributed: Empetrum nigrum, Betula glandul'osa, Viola sp., Grasses, 

 Sphagnum, other mosses. 



Along streams and ditches: Lysichiton camtschatkense, Caltha palustris, Alnus 

 sinuata, Salix sp. 



In bogs: Sphagnum sp., Ledum palustre, Kalmia glauca, Oxy coccus oxy coccus. 



Funston visited the Yakutat region in 1892 and made a collec- 

 tion of the plants found. The list of the plants in this collection 

 (Coville and Funston) will be found interesting for comparison. 

 It will be noted that none of the spermatophytes listed in the bogs 

 are given in the Coville and Funston list. 



It seems probable that Funston did not visit this tundra since 

 he says: ''The almost level country lying on the eastern side 

 of the bay between Ocean Cape and the foothills of the mountains 

 is covered with a forest growth practically impenetrable. The 

 great amount of fallen timber together with the tangled and heavy 

 undergrowth constitute such obstacles to travel that even the 

 Indians who have lived here many years have never penetrated 

 the forest of the mainland for more than a mile." 



Much development has occurred in this region since Funston's 

 visit twenty-one years ago, a good deal of it being due to the build- 



