562 A. HESSELBO 



sen' S, Amhhj steg iiim-hog {1910, p. 253) and occurs rather commonly 

 in North Iceland, but more rarely in the other parts of the country, 

 probably because in North Iceland the climate is more Continental 

 than in the rest of Iceland. These moss bogs are most frequently 

 composed of Hijpnaceæ, but often Paliidella sqiiarrosa, Cinclidiiim 

 stygiiim or Mniiim cinclidioides forms an essenlial part of them. 



5. Isa fjor dur. The narrow strip of land, below the sleep moun- 

 tain slope (almost 600 metres in height) along the western side of 

 the fjord, is covered with sedge bogs right to the head of the fjord. 

 The most abundant constituents of the moss carpet between the 

 knolis were Hypnum revolvens, H. giganteiim, H. eæannulatiim, Palu- 

 della sqiiarrosa, Philonotis fontana, Mniiim cinclidioides, M. punctatum, 

 Cinclidiiim stijgiiim and Bryum ventricosiim. Here and there in the 

 moss carpet grew Thiiidium lanatum, Catoscopiiim nigritum, Meesea 

 trichoides, M. triquetra (scantily) and Oncophoriis Wahlenbergii. Splach- 

 niim sphæricnm and Å\ vascnlosnm grew on cow-dung. The knolis 

 were formed by Sphagnum teres, S. Warnstorffi, Polytrichum strictum, 

 P. alpinum, Mninm hornum and Dicranum scoparium. The following 

 hepatics occurred woven into the moss-cushions: Lophozia quin- 

 quedentata, L. Kunzeana, L. Hornschiichiana, L. qiiadriloba, Scapania 

 irrigiia, Blepharostoma trichophylliim , Harpanthus Flotowianus , Ce- 

 phalozia pleniceps, Cephaloziella Hampeana and C. riibella. 



6. Sey dis fjor dur. A boggy flat at an altitude of about 

 350 metres. The ground was covered with a blackish-brown moss 

 carpet composed of Hypnum giganteum, H. stramineum, H. sarmen- 

 tosiim, H. revolvens, H. Richardsonii, H. exanniilatiim and H. iincina- 

 tum, occasionally alternating with patches of Mnium cinclidioides. 

 Tufts of Sphagnum teres and .S. Girgensohnii occurred frequently, 

 and Splachnum vascnlosnm was common on dung. Carex spp. and 

 Eriophorum were abundant without, however, occurring so densely 

 as to cover the ground. This type of Hypnum bog , from which 

 other piants are most frequently entirely absent, is common in 

 North and East Iceland at elevations of about 200—500 metres, on 

 flåts where the snow lies long. The moss carpet is, as a rule, thin 

 and bears distinct traces of having been long subject to the pres- 

 sure of the snow-covering , the old stems being pressed closely 

 together, and only the annual shoots growing up into the air. 



Peat Bogs. In the course of time sedge bogs usually develop into 

 peat bogs, Gradually, as the peat layer becomes thicker, the dampness 



