370 AnDU. LlNDAC.i:» 



piOf*iess roiild he traced as regards the vegelalioii. Only the lichens 

 stood iVesh, especially upon stones. Hut under the fresh snow 

 which IVecpienlly covered everything, much was heing prepared, 

 hidden IVoni sight. 



The upper layer of the soil was thawed at thai lime wherever 

 it had no snow-covering, and the clay in Basiskæret had already 

 hecome so muddy that it was quite lahorious to walk ay)Out on it. 

 Larger pools were also met with at this lime where the numerous 

 wading-birds lived. 



When, in the night of the 30th, I drove to Pustervig snow began, 

 and as the wind grew stronger later in the night there was con- 

 siderable snow-drift. The boggy tracts around Stormkap were 

 mostly covered with snow and had a very winterly aspect in spite 

 of the year being well advanced. In several places Snow Buntings 

 were found which had evidently died of hunger, as the ground had 

 been frozen where they should find .their food. The snow was 

 damp when it fell and in many places it froze and occurred as an 

 icy covering upon the ground and upon the projecting parts of 

 plants; this is not to be wondered at as the temperature was still 

 low by night, and even went down to — 9.3 during the last 24 

 hours of May. 



The vegetation at this time was not further developed in Puster- 

 vig than at Danmarks Havn. 



At the end of May everything was at a standstill, so to speak, 

 and was far from having reached the development which the warm 

 days on the 6th and 7th had at that time indicated ; but a con- 

 siderable amount of moisture had been conveyed to the ground, far 

 more than was registered by the 5.0mm. downfall; and owing to 

 the fact of the ground being thawed earlier and containing more 

 moisture, preparations were being made for a quick development 

 of the spring flora, even if it began later than there had at first 

 been reason to expect — as regards Saxifraga oppositifolia and a 

 very few other species even later than in 1907. 



The month of June 190 8 began with clear w-eather and 

 relatively cold nights. Not until the 8th did we have a positive 

 temperature at all three readings. This was reached last year as 

 early as May 30; and occurred again on five additional days in 

 June before the 8th ; which was probably the reason why Saxifraga 

 was then in flower as early as the 4th, while this year that 

 stage of development w-as not reached until the 7th. 



Then came again some days with fogs from the east and south 

 and a low temperature so that the melting of the snow progressed 

 slowly. Not until the 12th was there enough running water in 



