b4c Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-18 
Compared with Liston and Sutton islands in Dolphin and Union strait 
which, being composed of limestone or dolomite, are subjected to far quicker 
erosion, this basalt island is extremely barren, a feature which is still further 
emphasized by the thorough glaciation it has suffered. Apart from certain 
plants which are capable of growing upon the bare rock and in crevices, the 
vegetation is limited to the more sheltered places where the soil is gravelly or 
wet. 
The following plants compose the whole vegetation upon the bare rock, or in 
erevices, viz.: different black or orange-coloured crust lichens, Silene acaulis, 
Saxifraga oppositifolia, The much more luxurious vegetation in places with 
more shelter and better soil was composed of the following plants, viz.: different 
lichens and mosses, Dupontia sp. and other grasses, Carex spp., Luzula sp., 
Salix anglorum, Polygonum viviparum, Silene acaulis, Saxifraga tricuspidata, 
S. oppositifolia, Dryas integrifolia, Empetrum nigrum, Epilobium latifolium, 
Cassiope tetragona, Arctostaphylos alpina, Vaccinium uliginosum, etc. Some of 
the above plants, viz.: grasses, Salix, and Dryas were also typical of the inter- 
mediate, drier soil. 
In its geology, vegetation, etc., this island may be considered typical for 
the many others of similar size and formation in this vicinity, though an examina- 
tion at a more favourable time of the year probably will reveal a few more 
species of plants in addition to those given above. 
WOLLASTON PENINSULA, VICTORIA ISLAND 
The western part of this peninsula has an appearance very similar to that 
of the mainland opposite, being of the same geological formation. From cape 
Baring to Simpson bay the coast is higher and rocky, but beyond is very low 
and consists mainly of gravel or sand with boulders and lagoons, while the bed- 
rock, limestone or dolomite, first crops out farther inland. East of Lady Frank- 
lin point the bedrock is a yellow sandstone, overlaid by limestone and, above, 
by basalt, from Richardson island to Murray point, so that both the former 
island and the coast opposite the sound show high and steep diabase cliffs. 
East of Murray point the land is very low, similar to the coast north of Lady 
Franklin point. Apart from Colville hills, a spur from the ‘“Museum range,”’ 
the interior of the peninsula is made up of lower plains of clay or gravel, with 
tundra and swamps surrounding lakes and ponds, the bedrock not being much 
in evidence. Two large rivers come out into Simpson bay, but none of any 
size south of it.! 
The ethnologist of the expedition, D. Jenness, spent the summer of 
1915 in the interior of the northern part of the peninsula, and the following 
spring, March-April, I made a sled trip along the coast farther south from 
Forsyth bay to Murray point. Both Mr. Jenness and I collected plants, and 
in addition I made some observations about the vegetation along the part of 
the coast I visited. 
From the reports of Stefansson and Jenness, who crossed the Wollaston 
peninsula in spring, the latter spending the spring, summer and fall there, 
it appears that the spring or early summer comes from a week to a month later 
than upon the mainland coast south of it. Consequently the development of 
the plant life is later too, generally starting at the beginning of July, though 
short spells of warm weather in May and June may melt much of the snow and 
ice and bring forth some flowers on the earliest plants, for instance, Saxifraga 
oppositifolia, willows, etc. Subsequent spells of poor weather in the same 
months retard their development, however. During July and most of August 
the land is free of snow, but snow and frost come in the end of the latter month 
and, from the beginning of September on, the winter may be said to have set in, 
at least a week earlier than upon the mainland coast. 
1 See Vol. III, Pt. K., Plate VI, fig. 2, and Vol. XII, Pt. A, pp. 24-27, of these reports. 
