Coronation Gulf Vegetation 53 ¢ 
August and the beginning of September at Grays bay, cape Barrow and Bath- 
urst inlet. 
; From Hanbury’s narrative we learn that in the middle of June, at Barry 
island, “one small flowering plant was already in blossom”’ and that ‘‘grass was 
observed to have begun growing at the roots.’”? Further, that on the east side 
of Bathurst inlet “there still was considerable snow in places, but it was melting 
fast, and the whole country was running with water.’ On June 20th, at the 
mouth of Bathurst inlet, “the grass was now rushing up” and “several flowering 
plants were already in blossom,’”’ and more than two weeks later, nearer the 
Coppermine river, “vegetation was very luxuriant, and the ground showed a 
profusion of blossom. The miniature rhododendron with its mass of red blossom,’ 
the white blossom of our old friend the 7-klu-ti, the heather which had served us 
for fuel for so many days on Arm-ark-tuk river, and a white anemone were the 
most conspicuous.”? On July 15th Lupinus nootkatensis was “still in flower.’ 
From the various data on hand we may conclude that the vegetation is at 
least a week earlier along the south coast of Coronation gulf and in Bathurst 
inlet than at Bernard harbour. This is of course due mainly to the more south- 
ern latitude, the difference being about one degree, but probably also to the 
fact that the climate is more steady and continental along the south shore of 
the gulf than in Dolphin and Union strait, and is not subjected to so many cold’ 
and stormy spells in May and June as at Bernard harbour. There is also every 
reason to believe that the subduing of the plant life in the fall comes later along 
this coast than at Bernard harbour. 
Islands in Coronation Gulf 
Apart from those close to the mainland south of Coronation gulf, the many: 
islands scattered over this body of water were not visited by members of the 
Canadian Arctic expedition, except in winter and spring, and then only a few 
of the hundreds. Their general character has been given by Collinson? and 
Stefansson.? They consist mainly of basalt, diabase, sometimes underlaid by 
dolomite, according to the geological formation of the nearest mainland, including 
Victoria island; their eastern and southern parts show higher, steep cliffs, while 
their northern and western parts slope down to the level of the sea. Owing to 
their exposed situation and geological make-up, the vegetation is generally 
poor, except for occasional gullies or pockets, stretches with gravel, and the 
surroundings of ponds. As, however, the vegetation of isolated islands is 
interesting always, mainly on account of the number of species not found upon 
them, I give herewith some information about the plants I observed on one of 
the three small islands belonging to the Duke of York archipelago and situated 
south of Lady Franklin point on Victoria island. I stayed two days there in 
the middle of March, 1916, at which time much snow covered the island, par- 
ticularly the lower parts. ; 
It is composed solely of dark basalt, which shows marked effects of glacia- 
tion upon its surface,’ with many and often big boulders scattered over it. The 
bedrock shows fairly high cliffs on the northern and eastern sides of the island 
or runs out in lower rocky points, where it does not slope gradually into the, 
sea as a smooth rock floor. On the south side there is a more extensive stretch 
of gravel beach which, by rising gently towards the north, intersects the island 
as a gravel slope until barred by higher cliffs. Here and there along the beach ° 
are small gravelly areas at the head of bights, and among the lower or higher 
cliffs are depressions, often with water accumulations or smaller gullies. 
4:13 
5 . p. 237. = 
6 Ben Report of the Canadian Arctic Expeditioa, vol. III, Part Kk. Ottawa, Plate X, fig. 1. 
