440 THE VOYAGE OF THE VEGA. ' [ciur. 



seen on a sunsliiny day in May (the 27th) m motion on the 

 surface of the snow, but it was not until the end of June that 

 insects began to show themselves in any large numbers, among 

 them many Harpalids, two large species of Carabus, and a large 

 Curculionid. The insects occurring here however are not very 

 numerous either in respect of sjx'cies or individuals, which is not 

 strange when we consitler that the earth at a limited depth from 

 the surface is constantly frozen. As even the shallow layer, 

 which thaws in summer, is hard frozen in winter, all the insects 

 wliich occur here must in one or other phase of their develop- 

 ment endure being frozen solid for some time. But it may be 

 remarked with reason with reference to this, that if life in an 

 organism may so to speak be suspended for months by freezing 

 stiff without being destroyed, what is there to prevent this 

 suspension being extended over years, decades, or centuries ? 



The common idea, that all animal life ceases, when the interior 

 animal heat sinks under the freezing-point of water, is besides 

 not quite correct. This is proved by the abundant evertebrate 

 life which is found at the bottom of the Polar Sea, even where 

 the water all the year round has a temperature of — 2° to — 2''"7 

 C, and by the remarkable observation made during the wintering 

 at Mussel Bay in 1872-73, that small Crustacea can live by 

 millions in water-drenched snow at a temperature of from — 2° 

 to — 10°" 2 C. On this point I say in my account of the expedition 

 of 1872-73:— 1 



* Haliantlius peploides (L.) Fii. Glyceria vaginata J. Lce. f con- 

 Alsine arctica (Stev.) Fenzl. tracta J. Lge. 



* Sagina nivalis (Lindbl.) Fk. * Catabrosa algida (Sol.) Fr. 



* Polygonum Bistorta L. * Colpodium latifoliuin K. Be. 



* ,, viviparum L. Dopontia Fiscberi R. Br. 



„ polymorpbum L. f. * Trisetum subspicatnm (L.) P. B. 



frigida Cham. * Aira csespitosa L. f. boieuHs 



Tiumex arcticus Trautv. Trautv. 



* Oxyria digyna (L.) Hill. Alopecnrns alpinus Sm. 



Salix boganidensis Trautv. f. lati- * Hierocbloa alpina (Lujebl.) PiOEM. 

 folia. and Sen. 



,, Cliamissoiiis Anders. * Carex rariflora (Wg.) Sm. 



„ arctica Pall. * „ aqvatilis f. epijegos L.est. 



,, cuneata Tuucz. * „ glareosa Wg. 



* ,, reticulata L. * „ lagopina Wg. 



„ species ? * Eriopborum angustifolium EoTH. 



Betula glandulosa ]MiCHX. f. rotun- "*■ ,, vaginatum L. 



difolia Kegel * ., russeolum Fr. 



Elj^mus mollis Trim. * Luzula parviflora (EHRn.)DESV. 



* Festuca rubra L. f. areuaria * ,, Wablenbergii RuPR. 



OsB. * ,, arcuata (Wg.) S\v. f. con- 



* Poa flexuosa Wg. fusa Lindeb. 

 Arctopbila effusa J. Lge. * .Juncus biglumis L. 

 Glyceria vilfoidea (Ands.) Tu. Fr. Lloydia serotina (L.) Reichenb. 



' * liedogurelse for den svenska polarexpeditionen dr 1872-73. Bibang till 

 Vet.-Akad. Haudl. Bd. 2, No. 18, p. 52. 



