448 Mr Philip Sewell on the Flora of [sess. liii. 



defined areas, each of which has its fairly characteristic 

 plants, whether at K0lle, Vads0, or Vard0. 



I. Most common were the exposed slopes of the hill-side, 

 where was but a scanty covering of peat, which generally 

 appeared almost dry. by reason of the excessive drainage 

 and the great exposure to winds and sun. Here typically 

 gi'ow Diapensia, Betula, Vaccinium. 



II. Not by any means so characteristic of the country, 

 but commonly enough met with, were the level places — 



(a) Along the sides of the fiords, where generally is a 

 sandy and well-drained subsoil, carpeted with turf, or — 



(Jb) In the higher valleys, where the soil is of peat, and 

 more retentive of water. Here are the bogs and pools, 

 with their wealth of Carex, Vaccinium, Andromeda, 

 Pedicularis, Pyrola, Bartsia, &c. 



III. Distinct enough in physical character and in character- 

 istic plants are the essentially rocky places, those either {a) 

 of the hill-top, where drainage and exposure are excessive, 

 and where Liehenes alone flourish ; or (h) those situate at the 

 bases of the hills, where there is always a continuous supply 

 of moisture, where there is afforded protection from winds, 

 and where soil readily collects. This last is the resort 

 par excellence of the widely distributed mountain and arctic 

 species. 



Compared with the above, the coast-region of the Yugor 

 Straits shows an almost complete absence of the areas we 

 have considered under I. and III. Level places are every- 

 where ; and most conmionly the levels are peat-bogs ; there 

 is little sand covered with turf except in isolated places 

 along tlie rivers or the sea-shore. It is probable that the 

 land of the Yalmal peninsula is more fertile, this being due 

 to the nature of its subsoil, which is essentially a fine sand, 

 washed down ages ago by the river Obi. But Yalmal 

 land is exceptional ; the cold blue clays derived from the 

 shales, which, with a few outcrops of limestone, form the 

 rocks about the Yugor Straits, give place only to dreary 

 extents of water-logged peat-bogs ; it is very rarely that 

 naturally better drained and turf-covercd tracts are to be 

 met with aboiit the Yugor Straits. 



The peat is clothed (not sparsely perhaps) with Carex, 

 Eriophoram, and species of Foa and Glyceria, for the most 



