154 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



in hollows and bogs, is tlie ground slightly green. The higher 

 plants are represented by only 17 species, all small and stunted/ 

 most of them rising only some few lines above the sand. Very 

 few plants reached a height of 15 centimetres. No kind of 

 willow was found, nor any flower seen of any other colour thn.n 

 green or white. 



" The lichen-flora too was scanty. No species showed any 

 great luxuriance, and seldom did the black and white lichen- 

 crust produce any ' apothecium.' The lichen-vegetation was 

 most abundant on the driftwood of the beach and on the tufts 

 in the marshes. The larger lichens, as the reindeer and Iceland 

 lichens, occurred very sparingly. About 80 species were found. 

 The land evertebrates were so sparingly rejaresented, that only 

 three diptera, one species of hymenoptera, and some insect larva; 

 and spiders could be collected. Only podurse were found in 

 great abundance ; they completely covered the whole ground at 

 the beach. 



" Several herds of reindeer were seeu, but we did not succeed 

 in getting within range of them. A little fish of the Cottus 

 family was caught by Nordquist in a ditch which was in connec- 

 tion with the sea. Driftwood still fresh was found in great 

 abundance, and farther up on land here and there lay a more 

 rotten stem. 



" Rain and fog rendered impossible any determination of 

 position. During night we went across the sound and anchored 

 about an English mile and a half from the shore of Yalmal, 

 right opposite some Samoyed tents which we discovered a little 

 inland. In the same unfavourable weather as that of the day 

 before we attempted to land there, but found the water too 

 shallow. First pretty far to the east we succeeded in reaching 

 the beach at a place where the land rose out of the sea with a 

 steep bank about nine metres high. Above the bank, which 

 consisted of loose clay, we found a plain with the appearance of 

 a rich watered tundra, full of marshes and streams, and therefore 

 presenting a very green appearance. In order to meet with the 

 Samoyeds we now went westwards, passing several rivulets which 



^ The collections made here were after our return determined by 

 Kjellman, who has communicated the following list : 



Saxifraga stellaris L. Aira cjespitosa L. 



,, cernua L. Hierochloa pauciflora R. Br. 



,, rivularis L. Eriophorum russeolum Fr. 



Cochlearia fenestrata R. Br. „ Scheuchzeri HOPPE. 



Stellaria humifusa Rottb, Carex salina Wg. 



Sagina nivalis Fr. ,, ursina Desv. 

 Arctophila pendulina (L.EST.) Ands. Luzula hyperborea R. Br. 



Catabrosa algida (Sol.) Fr. „ arclica Bl. 

 Dupontia Fisheri R. Br. 



