FAUNA AND FLORA OF COMMANDER ISLANDS. 27 



temperature in Bering Island was hardly ever below zero during the four years of 

 observation, it often drops below that point in St. Taul. Thus, the difference between 

 the summer and winter extremes is less on Bering Island than on St. Paul. 



Coming now to the question of cloudiness, it will be seen that while the annual 

 percentage is almost identical, the monthly distribution is radically different. Thus 

 while m St. Paul Island there are five times as many clear days during November to 

 April as during May to October, on Bering Island the proportion is reversed, there 

 being four. times as many clear days during the latter period as during the former. 

 Of fair days St. Paul enjoys nearly twice as many during the above six winter months 

 as during the six summer months, while Bering Island has a good many more fair 

 days in summer than in winter. Consequently, the entirely overcast days preponder- 

 ate on St. Paul in summer, while on Bering Island their number is greater in winter. 

 The latter island, moreover, has about 10 per cent more overcast days during the whole 

 year, but on the contrary also about 10 per cent less overcast during the summer 

 months, or during the time the seals remain on the islands. 



Unfortunately the percentage of relative humidity is not given for St. Paul Island. 

 A glance at the table for Bering Island will show how excessively humid the climate 

 of the latter is, the annual meaus reaching 90 per cent, the monthly means occasion- 

 ally exceeding 95 per cent, and never lower than 82 per cent. The months showing 

 the greatest percentage of relative humidity are July and August. 



. The Weather Bureau tables alluded to do not contain any data relating to pre- 

 cipitation on St. Paul Island, and all the published information I have been able to 

 find relates only to the months May to November.^ Compared with the correspond- 

 ing tables for Bering Island, they show that the precipitation on the latter island is 

 considerably smaller during that period than on St. Paul Island. 



FAUNA AND FLORA OP THE COMMANDER ISLANDS. 



The animals and plants of the Commander Islands have been studied since Steller 

 set foot on the virgin ground of Bering Island in 1741. He collected and described 

 all the new things he saw, and if he had lived to elaborate his collections and finish 

 his work but little would have been left for his successors. Since then Vosnessenski 

 has been on the island; Dr. Dybowski collected during various visits between 1879 

 and 1883; Kordenskioeld's Vega expedition, with his admirable staff of scientists, 

 J^ordquist, KjeUman, Stuxberg, and Almquist, used their five days' stay in 1879 

 exceedingly well; and, above all, Mr. Grebnitski has devoted work, time, and money 

 during nearly twenty years to enrich the Eussian museums, particularly that of the 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences in St. PiBtersburg, with extensive and costly collections 

 of natural history. The United States K^ational Museum is also indebted to him for 

 valuable material. Finally, during my stay in 1882-83, and to a less extent in 1895 

 and 1897, I myself have been able to add my mite to our knowledge of the flora and 

 fauna of these islands, nearly all my collections being now in the United States 

 Ifational Museum. Tet the subject is not exhausted; many animals and plants 

 occurring there remain uncollected, while many of the collections in the museums 

 await the arrival of the specialist to work them up. 



— — : ■ > 



'Fur Seal Arb., viii, pp. 518-519. 



