404 Hanna, Birds of St. Matthew Island. nee 
devoid of vegetation. The rocks forming these latter are weath- 
ered into very small fragments, set edgewise and close together 
and making a natural pavement. 
Most of the valleys are covered with reindeer and other mosses 
and in many favorable places there are true tundra bogs. Vegeta- 
tion other than mosses and lichens is dwarfed and scant in most 
places. The rank growths of wild parsnip and wild rye found on the 
Pribilofs are entirely absent. There are a large number of fresh 
and brackish water lakes on the island, many of which have been 
formed by the sea building dykes across from one headland to 
another. The tide ebbs and flows in some of these, forming lagoons. 
There are a large number of fresh water streams, many of them a 
dozen feet across. They wind through the tundra swamps with 
undercut banks which form ideal spawning and feeding places 
for the innumerable trout found here. 
The mountains are cut into by the sea on every side of the island, 
making long stretches of towering cliffs, between which the sea has 
built up beaches of such an extent as to give the impression that the 
island is much older than the Pribilofs. These cliffs display the 
most wonderful geological formations I have ever seen. There are 
beautiful blues, yellows, greens and bright reds in layers or dykes 
and in places throughout the mass run seams of pure white calcite 
from two to twelve inches thick. 
Evidences of comparatively recent earth disturbances are seen 
about two miles below Cape Glory of Russia on the south side of 
the island. The earth and cliffs are torn and tumbled in the 
greatest confusion. New slides are seen and the beach line boulders 
are not much rounded. In some places rocks are constantly falling 
making it dangerous to go beneath the cliffs. Here are nodules 
from two inches to two feet in diameter composed of a green mineral- 
like jade, and there are numerous seams in the country rock of 
banded agate. There is one cliff half a mile long of undoubted 
sedimentary origin. Numerous fossilized trees some two feet in 
diameter are embedded near the base. All seen were in a recum- 
bent position and were as black as anthracite coal. 
The large number of cliffs with their grand scenic display are 
notable as the nesting places of countless sea birds. Of all the 
places I have visited St. Matthew is rivalled in this respect only by 
