NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



101 



connections now submerged, among the 

 islands themselves and with the main- 

 land, Asia, and Europe; variations of 

 the climate in the past; the rise of 

 endemic species, and modifications of 

 immigrants; and the effect of trans- 

 porting agencies. 



In the warmer, drier niches of the 

 rockier slopes where sufficient soil has 

 accumulated, small heath-growths of 

 Campanula uniflora, Pyrola rotundifolia, 

 Arnica alpina, Antennaria alpina, Fes- 

 tuca alpina, Trisetum spicatum, Carex 

 incurva, Potentilla Vahliana, and Cala- 

 magrostis purpurascens are set among 

 a basic growth of Cassiope tetragona and 

 Dryas integrifolia, which are distributed 

 over all the drier tracts. 



The seepage-swales along the moss- 

 grown streamlets of ice-cold water from 

 melting streamlets are well carpeted 

 with grasses, sedges, Luzula and Juncus, 

 with here and there patches of white- 

 furred Eriophorum and timothy-like 

 Alopecurus alpinus. In these seepage- 

 swales the drier margins have scattered 

 beds of Rhododendron lapponicum, Saxi- 

 fraga oppositifolia, Oxyria digyna, Ceras- 

 tium alpinum, the several species of 

 Draba, Ranunculus nivalis, and Melan- 

 drium affine. 



Silene acaulis, Bray a purpurascens, 

 Papaver radicatum, Poa, Salix arctica, 

 Potentilla nivea, Statice maritima, Erige- 

 ron compositus, Taraxacum, Lesquerella 

 arctica, and Stellaria longipes, grow over 

 the windswept, gravely reaches, not 

 too dry. 



The grass- and sedge-grown moors 

 with an "undergrowth" of moss and 

 marchantia, hold scattered plants of 

 Pedicularis hirsuta, Eriophorum Poly- 

 stachium, Ranunculus sulfureus, Carda- 

 mine bellidofolia, Equisetum arvense, 

 Eutrema edwardsii, Ranunculus hyper- 

 boreus and R. pygmaeus, Tofieldia palus- 

 tris, and many other moisture-loving 

 plants. 



Cystopteris fragilis, Woodsia, and 

 Aspidium fragrans are among the ferns 

 of the archipelago. Hippuris vulgaris, 

 Dupontia fischeri, Pleuropogon sabinei, 

 Batrachium paucistamineus, and several 



carices grow in the pools or long the 

 margins. 



These are but part of the species that 

 go to make up the vegetation of the 

 islands. 



Animal life 



Except for the mammals and the birds, 

 the animal life of the archipelago is 

 most imperfectly known. The lower 

 forms have been relatively neglected by 

 the explorers and investigators who have 

 collected in the polynia. 



The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) finds 

 on the more remote lands of these 

 islands, notably in Banks Land, Axel 

 Heiberg Land, and Ellesmere Land, his 

 last extensive range. Here the last 

 large herds have thus far been preserved; 

 on the broad valley-pastures and slopes 

 of Ellesmere Land, several thousand 

 still persist, finding there food and safety 

 from slaughter. 



The barren-ground caribou (Rangifer 

 spp.) ranges over the southern islands, 

 while in Axel Heiberg Land and in 

 Ellesmere Land a small species, Rangifer 

 pearyi finds its home. These small 

 northern caribou do not gather in large 

 herds, nor do they migrate extensively. 



Along all the coastal stretches and 

 far out upon the frozen reaches of the 

 Arctic Sea the polar bear (Thalarctos) , 

 the arctic wolf (Cam's tundrarum), 

 and the polar fox (Alopex spp.) wander 

 restlessly about, still relatively numer- 

 ous. The Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus 

 group) is rather widely distributed. 

 The lemmings (Lemmus and Dicrostonyx) 

 and the weasel (Mustela a. arctica} 

 frequent the grassgrown plains and 

 moors. 



The sea-life is relatively abundant. 

 Walrus, ring-seal, bearded seal, harp 

 seal, hooded seal, and harbor seal are 

 found in the sounds and off the islands. 

 Narwhal and beluga are common. In 

 places, several species of whale are 

 found. The Big Finner, the Little 

 Finner, the Humpback, the Right 

 whale, the Greenland whale, and the 

 Killer are found locally. 



The bird-life is numerous, but little 



