391 



The sand was frozen in a depth of 64 cm and in a pro- 

 file on the eastside, formed by a half dried up river-bed, ice 

 was seen in a depth of 50 cm below the surface. I suppose 

 the dune receives its increase in the autumn in the shape of 

 a mixture of snow and sand, which thaws during the summer 

 and dries up until the stated depth where the melting-water 

 freezes together to solid ice. (A similar snow-and sanddrift 

 I noticed in 1898 at Tasiusarsik kidtlek near Angmagsaliki. 

 At the base of the kiln was found, by the above-named little, 

 somewhat mossgrown, river-bed, a small humid sandy flat 

 covered with Equisetum arvense f. deciimbens, Lachnea scutel- 

 lata and, at the margin, little tufts of Eriophorum Scheuchzeri 

 together with, on a small elevation, a single Salix arctica v. 

 groe)dandica bush. 



To the east of the little river-bed were extensive, almost 

 horizontal flats, which, in my journal, I call "Graa Klit"; 

 the soil consists of stoneless, very fine argillaceous sand, which 

 cracks in the summer drought. 



They were covered with Arctostaphylos alpina, Dryas 

 octopetala f. minor, Salix arctica f., Elyna Bellardi and Carex 

 nardina. None of these plants rises 5 cm above the ground, 

 most often they are covered so strongly that only a few short 

 stem-joints together with their leaves are free; in many cases, 

 indeed, the petioles themselves are covered. None was seen in 

 flower, nor were there any traces of fruit-setting from previous 

 years. They evidently wage a hard war against the dust covering 

 and erosions of winter, all parts above ground being, as I believe, 

 eaten away every year |6g. 16). 



Near these flats are others, which ! designate by the name 

 of "Sten sletter" ("stony plains", see A. Jessen in "Danmarks 

 Geologiske Undersøgelse" i R., Nr. 3, p. 2ö3). 



These are plane or slightly undulating, almost horizontal, 

 flats made up of sand, argillaceous sand, in spots, gravel with 

 shells of sea moUusca, accordingly parts of a marine terrace. 



