72 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XIX. No. 471. 



west longitude and is thirty miles from the 

 mainland. It is twenty miles long by fifty 

 wide and has a very irregular coast line. 

 The surface is much diversified and broken. 

 A fresh-water lake about twenty miles long 

 is situated in the northwestern part of the 

 island. It is connected with the sea by the 

 Karluk River and furnishes an ideal breed- 

 ing ground for the red salmon. One of the 

 most important fishing stations and canning 

 plants in the world is located near the mouth 

 of this river. The winters are very long, be- 

 ginning early in October, but they are not in- 

 tensely cold. The lowest temperature during 

 the two years of Mr. Horne's stay was • — 10°. 

 There is much mild weather and there are fre- 

 quent thaws. The soil only freezes to a depth 

 of from one to two feet, and the frost is out of 

 the ground early in June. The highest sum- 

 mer temperature noted was 12°. The Chinese 

 laborers in the canning factory make gardens 

 where they cultivate successfully many of the 

 more hardy vegetables. 



The principal plant formations discussed 

 were those of the low-lying bogs, the com.- 

 paratively level grass lands, the higher lying 

 peat bogs, and the alpine flora occupying the 

 rocky hills. Marine plants are not particu- 

 larly conspicuous, though many brown and 

 red seaweeds occur. Two species of Potamoge- 

 ton are found in the river at the point where 

 the salt and fresh waters meet. Above this 

 point it is comparatively free from vegeta- 

 tion. The country is well watered by small 

 streams. These are often full of various green 

 algEe and they are frequently dammed by 

 dense growths of mosses. Some of the smaller 

 slower brooks are completely blocked by dense 

 growths of species of Yaucheria, which so re- 

 tard the flow of the water as to form low wet 

 bogs that are covered with a characteristic 

 vegetation. The earliest plant to flower in the 

 spring in these vaucheria bogs is the small 

 Olaytonia asarifolia. Other conspicuous 

 spring plants are a species of Bumex, Caltha 

 palustris and various species of the Cruciferae. 

 These bogs are showiest in midsummer when 

 filled with Polemonium acutifolium, several 

 species oi Epilohium and a handsome JfimuZMS. 

 Epilohium luteum in particular forms showy 



masses in the bogs and along the brooks. A 

 large-flowered skunk cabbage also occurs in 

 wet places, frequently marking the course of 

 little brooks along the hillsides. Garex cryp- 

 tocarpa forms a dense zone bordering portions 

 of the river bank. 



The drier and comparatively level grass 

 lands are always completely covered by layers 

 of mosses and lichens, so that they approach 

 the condition of the tundras. The flrst spring 

 flowers of the grass lands are the abundant 

 pink blossoms of the little Rubus stellatus, 

 which is also a conspicuous plant in the fall 

 from the rich coloring of its leaves. The turf 

 consists mostly of Garex Gmelinii. Scattered 

 plants of species of Poa and Festuca are fre- 

 quent, but the dominant grass is a species of 

 Oalamagrostis. A fragrant grass, a species 

 of Hierochloa called locally ' vanilla grass,' 

 occurs, but it is not abundant. Other conspic- 

 uous plants are Trientalis Europea artica, two 

 species of violets. Geranium erianthum, also 

 conspicuous in the fall from its red foliage, a 

 yellow Gastilleia, Viburnum pauciflorum, San- 

 guisorha latifolia, Galium loreale and a large 

 showy Lupinus. The salmonberry, Buius spec- 

 iahiliSj is frequent and bears a large, delicious, 

 edible berry. In midsummer great patches of 

 fireweed, Ghamcenerion angiistifolium, sud- 

 denly burst into bloom, giving a most striking 

 color effect. Later in the season Solidago 

 lepida becomes conspicuous. Lathyrus palus- 

 tris was the only plant observed having a vine- 

 like habit. 



The peat bogs occur at the foot of the hills. 

 Among their characteristic plants are Betula 

 glandulosa, a shrub reaching two feet in 

 height; Empetrum nigrum, with black fruits 

 that are called ' blackberries ' and are eaten 

 by the natives, and Ledum palusire, the leaves 

 of which are used for a tea. Vacciiiium ovali- 

 folium grows along the upper edge of the 

 grass lands. It furnishes an important eco- 

 nomic fruit. 



The alpine flora on the rocky hills consists 

 of a mat-like growth of mosses, Gladonias, 

 Empetrum, dwarf blueberries, etc. The first 

 to bloom in the spring is Mcerania alpina. The 

 fall foliage of this plant is very showy, form- 

 ing intense red patches on the hillsides. Other 



