A sHiuvey of the Pliytogeography of the Arctic Auierican Arcliipelago 
Most part of the aimual precipitation falls in April-May and September-October; 
the extreme winter inonths are orenerally distinguislied by a clear sky and very 
little precipitation. The three summer months, indeed, generally show more over- 
cast or hazy weather, hut the amount of rain or wet snow is nevertheless rather 
small. Thus tlie quantity of moisture nvailable during the period of vegetation 
must be very small, and moreover strong winds will in many instances sweep away 
the snow from plains and mountainsides whicli must theii become too dry to sustain 
any vegetation at all. Large stretches of ground thus will assume the cliaracter of 
veritable desert, where oiily siich places appear as oases, as have a richer access to 
water from accuinulations of snow. This especially holds good about the northern 
parts of the Archipelago. 
Measureménts of temperature have been systeinatically carried on by all expedi 
tions, rarely, however, in such a manner as to give an idea of the amount of 
warmth actually being at disposal for the vegetation. For my own part I have 
made some such observations in Ellesmereland, but I shall have to reserve them for 
another paper, and at present the following table (II) is what I think necessary for 
the purpose of giving an idea about the range of temperature in the Arctic islaiids. 
For further details I must refer to the pubhcations about the different expeditions 
and to Hann, KHmatologie, III, p. 523—32. In the table I have entered iigures 
for one or a few representative stations within each of the six districts into which 
I have divided the Archipelago. The coldest month may be any of the four extreme 
winter months, December— March, the warmest always is the July. June and August, 
the two other summer months, generally show nearly equal means, about one degree 
below that of July. 
TABLE II. 
Mercy Bay 1851-52 
Walker Bay 1851-52 
Port Kennedy 1858-59.... 
Cumberland Sound 1882- 
Port Bowen 1824-25 
Winter Harbour 1819-20 
Nortliumberland Sound 18 
Beechev Island 1852—53.. 
. 1853- 54.. 
Gooae Fjord 1900—01 
, 1901-02 
Harbour Fjord 1899-190( 
Fram Harbour 1898-99... 
Lady Franklin Bay 1875- 
Floeberg Beach 1875-76. 
