4k Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 
SOUTH SIDE OF SEWARD PENINSULA, ALASKA (NOME AND TELLER) 
This district has been so often and so well described that further description 
in this report appears unnecessary. 
Though the character of the country and climate around Nome is practically 
the same as at Port Clarence (Teller), that of the coast line is different. At 
Teller, a long, low sandspit runs from the southeast parallel to the mainland 
and embraces the spacious harbour of Port Clarence. At the head of the port 
two sandspits, on the southern of which Teller is situated, mark the entrance to 
Grantley harbour, which is continued by a channel to Imuruk lake. 
The southern spit, only a few feet above the sea, consists of gravel and sand 
with grass-tufts and flowering plants including Palaver nudicaule, Chamaerium 
latifolium, Artemisia and Honckenyia peploides; the tundra, best developed in 
depressions, is characterized by creeping willows, Carex, etc. A few larger 
depressions (some artificial) contain water even in August (PI. V, fig. 1). Just 
west of the town a large lake stretches almost across the sandspit, separated 
from Grantley harbour by a swamp, and from Port Clarence by sand hills. 
This lake is a case of recent marine formations, for marine diatoms are found 
in it, and Commander Trollope's chart of the place made in 1854 shows a lagoon 
with an outlet to Port Clarence and connected at high tide with Grantley har- 
bour. Since that time the ends of the lagoon have been filled in by beach- 
deposits for about 100 yards on each side, leaving a couple of ponds on the 
Port Clarence side. 
On the other sides the lake is surrounded by low hills and elevated tundra 
intersected by small streams, which carry the melting snow in spring time, but 
later are dry. The depressions of the higher tundra enclose a few ponds in which 
are mosses, Hippuris, Utricularia, etc.; and in the gulches among the hills and 
in shelter of the banks, willows attain a fair size, though not so high as at Nome. 
Hippuris, Carex, etc., cover most of the lake shore, growing on mud or gravel- 
bottoms; and swamps occur between the lake and the surrounding tundra. 
(PL v, fig. 1). 
Insects were very plentiful here, but some of the plants plentiful at Nome 
were absent, owing, perhaps, to the higher altitude. 
The fauna and flora of this part of Seward peninsula may best be compared 
to the Kotzebue sound area and the Mackenzie delta beyond the tree limit, 
but little is known of insect life in either of these districts. 
The fauna, flora, climate, and general nature of the Nome and Teller areas 
are so similar that their insect life is here treated as identical. The fresh-water 
insects include : — 
(a) On the surface: Collembola, and swarms of peculiar flies (Hydrophorus 
signijerus) jumping around like the well-known water-bugs (Hydrometra). 
They evade capture by flying, but afterwards " slide " backwards to the surface 
to pursue their predacious habits. Their development probably takes place in 
the water, to which they are far more attached as imagines than is the case with 
tipuHdae, mosquitoes, and other aquatic diptera. 
(6) Under the surface : coleopterous, trichopterous, and dipterous larvae, 
besides the bug Arctocorixa sp. and various water-beetles (Dytiscidoe) as Ilybius 
angustior, Agabus nigripalpis, Agabus infuscatus, Colymbetes dolobratiis. 
The development of the dytiscid larvse {Agabus sp.) outside of the water 
is interesting. In the sand or mud flats surrounding the lake, the larvae make 
their open pupal cells, sheltered by any stone, board, tin can, old sacks, or such 
waste material as is found near a town or camping place. This material, 
obstructing the sunlight, renders vegetation scarce and deformed, and the sur- 
face is better able to retain the moisture. 
A variety of invertebrates were found there, ranging from snails (Succinea 
and Agriolimax), myriapods (Cryophilus alaskanus, Arctogeophilus glacialis, 
Ezembius stejnegeri), mites, spiders (Pardosa glacialis), and collembola, to 
