Some Notes concerning the Vegetation of Germania Land 365 



edge appears Avith a vertical fracture after parts of the drift have 

 tumbled down. At such places the latter, in its consistency, reminds 

 one of a glacier, and the perennial snowdrifts fully justify the name 

 of glacier, formed as they are like the land-ice by the snowfall of 

 many jj^ears. 



With September, autumn had entered upon a more austere 

 stage than at the same time in the previous year. This applies in 

 particular to the first third of the month; in 1906 we had then a 

 rather high positive temperature while in 1907 we had a negative 

 mean temperature already in the first week of the month, which 

 was of great and fatal import to the vegetation, as it meant an 

 abrupt termination to the life of those individuals that were belated. 

 On September 11 the maximum temperature was the same in 1906 

 and 1907, namely + 2.8°. Then followed the lower temperature 

 which in 1907 brought the summer period to an end about a fort- 

 night earlier than in 1906. 



If the mean temperature of the whole month is considered 

 exclusively, the difference between 1906 and 1907 is but small, as 

 we have in 1906 —3.3° against —4.0° in; 1907. This slight difference, 

 which is owing to the higher temperature at the end of the month 

 in 1907 might lead to the supposition that September 1907 must in 

 the main have presented itself nearly as did the same month the 

 year before; but facts show, all the same, considerable discrepancy 

 which is clearly indicated by a comparison of the means for 

 each week. 



What is decisive here is naturally. the earlier appearance of the 

 frost rather than its severity. 



In 1906 passage across the ice between the ship and the shore 

 was established on September 20; while in 1907 the sheet of ice 

 had already formed a bridge on September the 1st. However, 

 some days later the traffic was broken off by storm and springtide, 

 but yet lasting communication was established some ten days earlier 

 than in the previous year. 



Vester Elven also suspended its activity somewhat earlier than 

 in 1906 when it supplied drinking water to the dwellers on land as 

 late as September 18, while in 1907 the river-bed was dried up 

 already on the 9th. 



On September 27 we had our first snowstorm; at two in the 

 afternoon the storm was in full swing although the wind greatly 



28* 



