72 ALASKA. 



tiou of their kiutl would not follow. There are, however, ten 

 or twelve species of grasses growing in every variety, from 

 close, curly, compact tufts on tlie seal-grounds, to tall stalks, 

 standing in favorable seasons waist-bigh ; the "wheat" of tbe 

 nortb, [Elymus,) together with over a hundred varieties of an- 

 nuals, perennials, sphagnum, cryptogamic plants, &c., all nour- 

 ishing in their respective positions, and covering nearly every 

 Ijoint upon which plants can grow with a living coat of the 

 greenest of all greens, as there is not suulight enough to ripen 

 any deep tinge of yellow into it — so green that it gives a deep- 

 bUie tint to gray noonday shadows, contrasting pleasantly with 

 the varied russets, reds, yellows, and grays of the lichen-cov- 

 ered rocks and the bronzed purple of the wild wheat on the 

 sand-dune tracts in autumn, and the innumerable blue, yellow, 

 pink, and white blossoms everywhere interspersed. Occasion- 

 ally by looking closely into the thickest masses of verdure our 

 common wild violet will be found. The floral display predomi- 

 nates greatly on Saint Paul, owing to the absence of the same 

 extent of warm sand-dune country on the other islands. 



By the end of August and first week in September of normal 

 seasons, the small edible berries [Empctrum nigrum and liiihus 

 ckamccmorus) are ripe, which are found in considerable quanti- 

 ties, the former being small, v/atery, and black, about the size 

 of an English or black currant, and the other resembling an 

 unripe and partly- decayed raspberry. They are the only fruit 

 aflbrded by the islands, and are of course keenlj' relished by 

 the natives. 



There are very few insects on the Seal Islands. A large 

 flesh-fly appears during the summer in a striking manner, and 

 settles upon the long grass-blades which flourish on the killing- 

 grounds especially, settling by tens of millions, causing the 

 vegetation over the whole slaughtering-field and vicinity to 

 fairly droop to the earth as though beaten down by a tornado 

 of wind and rain. Our common house-tly is not present, and 

 those just mentioned never come into the dwellings unless by 

 accident. It does not annoy man or beast. There are no mos- 

 quitoes. A small gnat flits about, inoflensive, taking shelter in 

 the grass. 



Aside from the seal-life on the Prybilov Islands, there are no 

 indigenous mammalia with the exception of blue and white 

 foxes, and the lemming, [MijodcH ohcns'm,) which latter is re- 

 stricted, singularly enough, to the island of Saint George,where 



