244 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. [chap. 



shattered by the frost and rather richly clothed with lichens. 

 On the more low-lying places the rock was covered with a layer 

 of gravel, which, through drying and consequent contraction, 

 had burst into six-sided figures, mostly from 3 to 0'5 metre in 

 diameter. The intei-ior of the figures was completely bare of 

 vegetation, only in the cracks there was to be seen an exceed- 

 ino-ly scanty growth of stunted mosses, lichens, and flowering 

 plants. Of the last-named group there were found fifteen 

 spacies/ which could with success, or more correctly without 

 succumbing, survive the struggle for existence on the little poor 

 archipelago, protected by no mountain heights, from the storms 

 of the Polar Sea ; but of these species, perhaps a couple seldom 

 develop any flowers. The mosses, too, were in great part 

 without fruit, with the exception of those which grew on the 

 margin, formed of hard clay covered with mud, of a pool, filled 

 with brackish water and lying close to the sea-margin. A large 

 number of pieces of driftwood scattered round this pool showed 

 that the place was occasionally overflow^ed with sea- water, which 

 thus appears to have been favourable to the development of the 

 mosses. Of lichens Dr. Almquist found a number of species, 

 well developed, and occurring in comparative abundance. On 

 the contrary, the sea, although the surrounding rocky islands 

 indicated a good bottom for algi^e, was so completely destitute of 

 the higher algae, that only a single microscopic species Avas 

 found by Dr. Kjellman. No mammalia were seen, not even the 

 usual inhabitant of the desolate rocky islands of the Polar Sea, 

 the Polar bear, wdio, in regions where he has not made acquaint- 

 ance with the hunter's ball or lance, in secure reliance on his 

 hitherto unvanquished might, seldom neglects to scrutinise the 

 newly arrived guests from the tops of high rocks or ice-blocks. 

 We saw here only six species of birds. The first of these that 

 attracted our attention was the snow-bunting, which had left 

 the more fertile mountain heights of the south to choose this 

 bare and desolate island in the Arctic Ocean for its breeding- 

 place, and now fluttered round the stone mounds, where it had 

 its nest, with unceasing twitter, as if to express its satisfaction 

 with its choice. Further, two species of waders, Tringa mari- 

 tima and PJialaropits fulicaHus, were observed running restlessly 

 about the beach to collect their food, which consists of insects. 



1 Namel}', according to Dr. Kjellman' s determination, the following 



Saxifraga oppositifolia L. Cerastium alpinum L. 



,, rivularis L. Alsine macrocarpa Fexzl. 



,, csespitosa L. Sagina nivalis Fr. 



Cardamine bellidifolia L. Salix polaris Wg. 



, Coclilearia fenestrata R. Br. Glyceria vilfoidea (Ands.) Th. Fk. 



Ranunculus hyperborens Rotit.. Catabrosa algida (Sol.) Fr. 



Stellaria Edwardsii E. Br. Aira csespitosa L. 



Juncus bio:lumis L. 



