HENRIK PRINTZ [191(3 



The village of Sakachama lies about 47 ^ N. lat. on the shore 

 of the Sea of Okholsk. During the period of Russian occupation 

 it was cailed Dobiiki. The inhahitanls are ahnost exclusively 

 fishermen. The village itself lies on a large sand}' heath, but 

 its surroundings are for the most part humus swamps. 



The climate here, as throughout the entire southern portion 

 of the island, is cold and damp. Generally, the coast is ice- 

 bound right down to the middle of May, and during the whole 

 of this month snow is found here and there even in the lowlands. 



All through May and June the weather is damp and cold, 

 with an extraordinarily abundant rainfall; July, on the other 

 hånd, is warm and comparatively fine, as also August and the 

 first half of September. Then rain sets in again and conlinues 

 abundant until frost and snow return. 



Despite the comparative severity of the climate, however, 

 vegetation is fairly luxuriant, in some piaces remarkably so, 

 and with a southerly character. 



According to their nature the most important of the societies 

 of piants in the area investigated ma}^ be thus divided into 

 different groups: 



I. The Sea Shore. 



II. Swamps and Lagoons. 



III. Rivers and Streams. 



IV. Swampy fields. 

 V. Pasture land. 



VI. Lowland forest region. 

 VII. Highland forest region. 



These societies may be further shortly described as foUows: 



I. The Sea Shore. The enlire coast outside Sakachama 

 is more or less uniform in character; its extreme seaward por- 

 tion is formed by a flat sandy strand some 20^ — 50 metres broad, 

 for the most part washed by the waves at high water, and 

 bounded on the landward side by a sandbank of more or less 

 considerable thickness. The shore here is largely bestrewn with 

 driftwood, wreckage and detached sea-weed. 



Immediately inside this belt lies a stretch of dry sandy heath 

 varying in breadth, which should most properly be included 

 under this head. Here we encounter far extended growths of 

 Acer Mono, Querciis and Crataegus species, Betiila alba, Piniis 

 piimila. Rosa nigosa, etc. with a rich undergrowth of various 

 species of Carex. The bush is interspersed with open spaces of 

 varying extent, bearing for the most part different species of 

 Carex, Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium vitis idaea and Cladonia. 



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