10 H. G. SIMMONS. [SEC. ARCT. EXP. FRAM 



II. Castle Island and Devil's Isle. 



1. Castle Island. 



For the little island lying off Cape Vera in about lat. 76 10' and 

 long. 89 20' I use this name which, after conferring with Captain 

 SVERDRUP, I had already used in my Prel. Rep. 1 instead of the name 

 "St. Helena" which we had jestingly given it, without any thought of 

 retaining it later. The name used above is rather appropriate on account 

 of the ruin-like forms which the withered limestone cliffs of the islet 

 have assumed. 



The island was first visited by a party in 1901, and Mr. SCHEI 

 made some collections and notes there, July 21. In 1902 I myself had 

 an opportunity of visiting it; and as we were obliged to stay there from 

 July 9 to 14, I had leisure for a very thorough examination of its flora. 



Castle Island is entirely built up of Silurian limestone of the same 

 hard, siliciferous kind as that which forms the adjacent part of N. Devon 

 and also the outer coast of S. W. Ellesmereland. The highest part of 

 the island rises about 200 feet, sloping to the east, and surrounded by 

 low cliffs, some of very curious shapes, showing that the lower parts of 

 the island have emerged rather recently from the sea. Terraces of 

 limestone debris, also formed below the sea-level, surround some parts 

 of the rocks ; in some places there is a talus of debris fallen down from 

 the highest part; and lastly there are some small patches of clay. Now 

 this is indeed a very poor soil, and would allow the existence of only 

 a very few plants had not numerous birds chosen the little islet for 

 their breeding place. On several of the higher rocks were nests of the 

 large gulls, Larus glaucus and L. argentatus, the black guillemot nested 

 everywhere in the cracks of the rocks, there was a colony of terns in 

 the low gravel plain, and lastly numerous eiderducks bred everywhere 

 around the base of the cliffs. The reason why so many birds seek 

 refuge here is, as may easily be discovered, that the strong current of 



1 An explanation of the abridged titles is to be found in my Ellesmereland Flora. 



