APPENDIX II. 469 



by two subsequent excursions, one to the south side of our first winter 

 harbour, which was soon afterwards visited for the first time, and in 

 particular one to Cape Rutherford, where we landed on August 21. Here 

 the vegetation was close and luxuriant over considerable parts of the 

 plateau which constitutes the interior of the peninsula. Particularly 

 noticeable was Papaver radicatum, which, notwithstanding the lateness 

 of the season, was still in full bloom. Other flowers were also in bloom, 

 probably because the snow had lain long, and they had been late in 

 regaining their functional activity. On the slope leading down to 

 Rutherfordeidet, on the other hand, where, on account of its favourable 

 asp'ect, ' spring ' was considerably earlier than on the plateau, nearly all 

 the flowers, with the exception of Saxifraga triciiKpidata, were over. I 

 saw, among others, Myrtillus uliginosa and Cassfopft tetragona as well- 

 grown as in Foulke Fjord. 



A few days later there was a fall of snow, and no more excursions 

 could be made that year. Occasional investigations could still, of 

 course, be made now and again, but our winter harbour was not 

 altogether suitably situated for winter observations. A series of 

 temperature readings was made from February to June on thermometers 

 placed under snow half a metre and a metre in thickness. The readings 

 showed that apparently the covering of snow does not in the end retain 

 warmth much above the mean temperature of the atmosphere, though 

 of course the changes are fewer and slower. In the spring, and some- 

 what late in the summer, observations were made on the temperature 

 in direct sunlight absorbed by thermometers with clear and with 

 coloured bulbs. 



On June 1, 1899, I went my first real botanical excursion for the 

 year. The warm sunny weather of the last few days had melted most of 

 the snow on the slopes on the north side of our harbour. Many plants 

 had sprung into activity, and the young leaves and shoots of several 

 species were visible. Saxifraga opposiiifolia, ever the most forward, was 

 here and there with partially or entirely open flowers. The first fortnight 

 of June was spent on a sledge-journey to Hayes Sound, which was the 

 only opportunity I had of examining the vegetation in the inner part of 

 this large fjord. On this occasion were found a number of species 

 which are not met with in the tracts out towards Kane Basin, to which, 

 during the remaining time of our sojourn in these tracts, my researches 

 were confined. The chief places examined later on in the summer were : 

 the immediate neighbourhood of Frams Havn, where some prolific slopes 

 on the north side added, in particular, a considerable contribution to the 

 collections of phanerogams, Cape Rutherford and its vicinity, Bedford 

 Pirn Island, and Cocked Hat Island. Twice later I went as far in as 

 Alexandra Fjord ; the first time in the beginning of July, when Twin 



