56 ON THE BOTANtf OF THE BRITISH POLAR EXPEDITION. 



during the cruise, and obtained Cassiopeia hypnoides and Lychnis 

 alpina just in bloom, two of the prettiest Arctic flowers. At the 

 head of the bay I gathered, for the first time, Vesicaria arctica ; 

 this is one of the very few non-European Greenlandic plants, 

 finding here its southern limit in Greenland. The rock at Eitten- 

 bank is glacially smoothed gneiss with erratic boulders perched in 

 all directions. 



II. Proven, hit. 72° 20', July 19 to 21, 1875. 



A small gneissose island, containing a good deal of heavy soil 

 in many places, and, on the whole, good for botany, especially in 

 sedges and grasses. Proven is about 560 feet above sea-level at its 

 highest point, and about three miles long by two broad. Near the 

 governor's settlement Lychnis affiant and L. trijiora formed pretty 

 beds of pink and white flowers. Turritis mollis (another non- 

 European Greenlandic plant), was here first met with ; Lauge gives 



lat. 70° for its northern range. Phleum alpinuni, Care.v scirpoides, 

 ft alpina, and 0. capiUam were also gathered here. The vegetation 

 on this island seemed to me rather more luxuriant than at Disco, 

 but this was probably, due in great measure to the advance of the 

 season. Nevertheless Proven is a very snug sheltered little island, 

 and is free from the chilling effects of a perpetual cap of ice. 

 Many species have disappeared since Disco, but Ericace® and 

 Sa.vifragacea;, Graminece and Ca rices, are still well represented. 



HI. Upernavik, lat. 72° 48', July 12 ; and Kangitok, lat. 72° 58', 



July 23, 1875. 



Uperuavik Island gave me an impression of extreme barrenness 

 and a much reduced flora. Ranunculus pugmceus and R. htjperboreus 

 were, however, more common here than elsewhere, and I noticed 

 an especially luxuriant growth of lichens. The Heath family, 

 which is so weU and beautifully represented at Egedesminde, Disco, 



and Proven, here dwindles to Cassiopeia tetraqona and Diapensia 



lapjxmwa .-while of other plants about half seem to have disappeared 

 since leaving Disco. Kangitok is a small low island botanically 

 uninteresting ; it appeared to be the northern limit of Diapensia 

 lapponica. 



These islands are composed of red granite and gneiss ; our visit 

 to each was limited to a few hours. ~~ 



(450 feet) was completely barren, except for Salix herbacea and 

 a tew lichens. 



IV. Cape York, lat. 76°, July 25, 1875. 

 An exposed headland, about 1000 feet high, composed of 

 porphyritic granite crumbling into great banks of fragments, 

 amongst which numbers of little auks have their breeding places. 

 Upon the guano here accumulated Cerattium alpinum, Alopecurus 

 alpnius, tamnpein tetragon*, and several Saxifrages were very 

 luxuriant. 1'luppsia alyida, a high Arctic grass, was here first 

 gathered, borne mosses also formed pleasant bright green patches. 



(To bo continued.) 



