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Ficure 10.—Sketches showing the genesis of a floating island. 1, A lake shore with a vege- 
tation of reeds. 2, The water level rises, and buoyancy of the air-filled roots of the swamp 
plants makes the swamp peat tear away from the substratum and rise so that it floats 
on the water. The island becomes inhabited. (The scale is indicated by the size of the 
woman.) 3, Plant remains are washed underneath the floating island, and gradually the 
interspace between the island and the bottom is filled up. (Drawing by B. Brorson 
Christensen.) 
alders and willows were spared, and also the stinging nettles, which 
people avoided. The seeds of strawberries and raspberries found here 
probably do not indicate that these plants grew on the spot. It seems 
more likely that the berries were gathered at another place and left 
at the village site in the form of excrements. The peat island was, 
on the other hand, encircled by a fertile growth of swamp plants, 
the seeds and fruits of which can be found washed in underneath 
the island. Nearest to the shore grew marsh marigold and various 
sedges, while waterplantain, gipsywort, purple loosestrife, yellow 
loosestrife, and mint needed more moisture. The odorous valerian 
lifted its flowers above the other plants, bittersweet nightshade grew 
tall in the open spots of the swamp, and bindweed clung to rush and 
reed. Farther out in the water there was a dense growth of reeds 
and cladium, and farthest out were the blue-green clusters of bulrush. 
And wherever there was a view through the reeds, water covered 
with yellow water-lilies could be seen. 
536608—60——42 
