4K Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 



SOUTH SIDE OF SEWARD PENINSULA, ALASKA (NOME AND TELLER) 



This district has been so often and so well described that further description 

 in this report appears unnecessary. 



Though the character of the country and climate around Nome is practically 

 the same as at Port Clarence (Teller), that of the coast line is different. At 

 Teller, a long, low sandspit runs from the southeast parallel to the mainland 

 and embraces the spacious harbour of Port Clarence. At the head of the port 

 two sandspits, on the southern of which Teller is situated, mark the entrance to 

 Grant ley harbour, which is continued by a channel to Imuruk lake. 



The southern spit, only a few feet above the sea, consists of gravel and sand 

 with grass-tufts and flowering plants including Papaver nudicaule, Chamaerium 

 latifolium, Artemisia and Honckenyia peploides; the tundra, best developed in 

 depressions, is characterized by creeping willows, Carex, etc. A few larger 

 depressions (some artificial) contain water even in August (PL V, fig. 1). Just 

 west of the town a large lake stretches almost across the sandspit, separated 

 from Grantley harbour by a swamp, and from Port Clarence by sand hills. 

 This lake is a case of recent marine formations, for marine diatoms are found 

 in it, and Commander Trollope's chart of the place made in 1854 shows a lagoon 

 with an outlet to Port Clarence and connected at high tide with Grantley har- 

 bour. Since that time the ends of the lagoon have been filled in by beach- 

 deposits for about 100 yards on each side, leaving a couple of ponds on the 

 Port Clarence side. 



On the other sides the lake is surrounded by low hills and elevated tundra 

 intersected by small streams, which carry the melting snow in spring time, but 

 later are dry. The depressions of the higher tundra enclose a few ponds in which 

 are mosses, Hippuris, Utricularia, etc.; and in the gulches among the hills and 

 in shelter of the banks, willows attain a fair size, though not so high as at Nome. 

 Hippuris, Carex, etc., cover most of the lake shore, growing on mud or gravel- 

 bottoms; and swamps occur between the lake and the surrounding tundra. 

 (PI. v, fig. 1). 



Insects were very plentiful here, but some of the plants plentiful at Nome 

 were absent, owing, perhaps, to the higher altitude. 



The fauna and flora of this part of Seward peninsula may best be compared 

 to the Kotzebue sound area and the Mackenzie delta beyond the tree limit, 

 but little is known of insect life in either of these districts. 



The fauna, flora, climate, and general nature of the Nome and Teller areas 

 are so similar that their insect life is here treated as identical. The fresh-water 

 insects include: 



(a) On the surface: Collembola, and swarms of peculiar flies (Hydrophorus 

 signijerus) jumping around like the well-known water-bugs (Hydrometra). 

 They evade capture by flying, but afterwards " slide " backwards to the surface 

 to pursue their predacious habits. Their development probably takes place in 

 the water, to which they are far more attached as imagines than is the case with 

 tipulidae, mosquitoes, and other aquatic diptera. 



(b) Under the surface : coleopterous, trichopterous, and dipterous larvae, 

 besides the bug Arctocorixa sp. and various water-beetles (Dytiscidoe) as Ilybius 

 angustior, Agabus nigripalpis, Agabus infuscatus, Colymbetes dolobratus. 



The development of the dytiscid larvae (Agabus sp.) outside of the water 

 is interesting. In the sand or mud flats surrounding the lake, the larvae make 

 their open pupal cells, sheltered by any stone, board, tin can, old sacks, or such 

 waste material as is found near a town or camping place. This material, 

 ^obstructing the sunlight, renders vegetation scarce and deformed, and the sur- 

 face is better able to retain the moisture. 



A variety of invertebrates were found there, ranging from snails (Succinea 

 and Agriolimax), myriapods (Cryophilus alaskanus, Arctogeophilus glacialis, 

 jEzembius stejnegeri), mites, spiders (Pardosa glacialis), and collembola, to 



