37; 



fore also this latter which remains, when the sand is torn up 

 by the wind. The bottom between these gramineous plants is, 

 both upon the "coffins" and upon the sandy flat, quite bare; 

 neither mosses nor lichens are found. 



Within this sandy area the sandflat was continued some- 

 what farther with an elevation of abt. 1 m above the level of 

 the sea, but sank again to a height of abt. 70 cm in a very 

 broad, flat depression. This is evidently an old bed of the 

 stream which comes from the northern side of Nathorst Fjæld, 

 whereas the above-mentioned sandy area represents a delta- 

 island. 



The depression was cross-furrowed by ditches, which had 

 at some places, in a depth of 50— 60cm, a little stagnant 

 water. These are beds of brooks, which in this spring have 

 been dug out by the melting water from Nathorst Fjæld, but 

 are now on the point of drying up. Their direction is in- 

 dicative hereof, as they follow the line of gravitation from the 

 mountain, but later on incline towards south and are lost in 

 the large flat of the old riverbed. 1 suppose that the latter is 

 flooded in the snowmelting period. 



On the edges and sides of these ditches grew a hydrophilous 

 vegetation made up of: Equisetum variegatum f. anceps, Juncus 

 highanis, J. castaneus, Alopecurus alpinus and, here and there, 

 little specimens of Salix arctica. Between these the sand was 

 coherent and greenish-coloured by algae, and in very moist 

 spots grew little specimens of Marchantia polymorpha. 



From within the depression the land rises evenly and is 

 covered by a rather dense, abt. 5 cm high heath, formed by: 



Dryas odopetala, Salix groenlandica. Pedicularis hirsuta,. 

 Stellaria longipes, Polygonum viviparum, Elyna Bellardi and 

 Alopeciirus alpinus. All these plants were greatly clipped by 

 grazing, and frequent excrements bore witness that the musk- 

 oxen had been here recently. Besides the bottom was under- 

 mined by lemmings so densely, that there was nearly one hole 



