The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-05-28

aud fioras
4. Which Of the great oceans has been |
the ceutsr whence the development o; the
dissimilar groups Of animals and plants took
place?
8. And which of these have migrated |
from the old 10 the new world, and Uice
oersa?
The desire to collect data for the solution |
# these aud other questions. SO important .
TO the history of our GLOBE has consoled rs,
not only in regard to our otherwise unfor-
tunate detention beyond What we had an
trcipated, but il prompted me, after we
were finally released mot Immediately to set
course for japan, but to devote a few weeks |
at least to the continuation of the labors Of
the autumn of 1878 and spring of 1879 that
is to say, of the examination of the ocean
between Behring's Strait and the Aleutian
Islands.
The question was, of course, first and
foremost to investigate with the utmost |
exactness possible the str Itch of coast near
which we had wlnterrd. Wild and barren as
for many instructive experiments TO solve
the above named problems, che majority Of
which could not, however, be presented be-
fore the return of the expedition, when the
collections are thoroughly elaborated.
can refer TO the accompanying essay of
DR.. Kjellman on the Alga-Vegetation
in the Siberian Arctic Sea-" to be pre-
scented to the Ac idemy OF Sciences on the |
- Flora Of the North Coast of Siberia" to-
gether with Archaeological observations
on the North of Siberia" The expedition
had no bryologist (bryology relates to !
m9sseD and o8Ey f9llffGGtiap, RIFs a f g Sc
depored so much m"re as this group of
plants is quite richly developed in this re-
gon, poor in the higher orders of plants
We had NO time for the collection and con-
servation Of mushrooms. These barely |
thrive in the Tags and sno~-drifts Of the
North. From the animal domain we oh
tanned far richer results, though, indeed
Insects aud land vertebl stss appeared only |
in small numbers. Mollusks, for instance, |
Of every kind are totally sbsent /; of coleop.
terra We found about twenty forms cara-
btrdians and staphytintdiahs and a couple
Of eurculiss and chrysomerla varieties. and
other forms seemed to b, equally scarce,
Except. perhaps, depterernes aud one other.
On the other hand, the bottom of the sea
teemsd with great variety of the lower
animal forms, though it is constantly Gov
cred with a stratum of sea water at a tenn
perature two degrees below zero (C). The
dredge which was operated almost daily
brought rich harvest from the channel,
which opened early in the summer near
the ship. Upon the labors performed in
this department. DR.. Stuxberg gives more
detailed views in his valuable essay accom-
panying this, entitled "Invertebrate Fauna
in tho Siberian Arctic Sea-
Finally, Lieutenant Nordquist has de-
voted extraordinary industry to the exami-
nation and conservation of the mammals,
fishes, and especially birds, which our own
hunters and Tschuktschen from the ada
cent villages daily brought on board in the
course Of spring and summer.
From the experience | have gained un-
der former voyages and from the study of
those Of other on the feathered world of
he high north, had enormously drawn
the inference that the same bird-fauna, with
but slight variations, must be common
throughout the Arctic region-i. g.. in Eu-
rope, Asia and America. Experience
gained in the expedition of the Vega
proves thas this by no means is the case,
but that the northeast extremity Of Asia,
that is, the Tschukt peninsula. forms
radio ! exception. Birds exist here in far
less numbers, but In far greater multi
plicity OF forms, than in Novsja Semlja,
Sptzbergsu and Greenland. and imprints
its feathered creation in its totalty with a
marked heterogeneIty.
IL Is true the gray gall (ldrus glaucus),
the Ice gull (L. eberneus), the "cryk"
q. trtda,tytus), the Terne theralda glacial
is), the b rilllant elder bird (saaateria
spectaoilis), (D the sno~ sparrow (pketro-
planes niratis), the swimming suips (pha-
9drdpns fulicar,us), the festhered Pist,
(trtngd maritinsa) the common raven, ETC.,
are found here, together with other forms,
which are met also in Greenland, Spitz-
bergen and Novaja Senja, or on the coast
Of northwest Siberia. But, 10 addition 20
those found, there is an unlocked for mul.
titude OF peculiar varieties, for example,
the American elder bird (samater,a v.nig
rum, swan-shaped goose, with d4zzling
white, with black wing feathers grayish
brown goose, with CANDY, yeliowisb
white feather curving on the neck tint
ID variety OF the tirlegula. with fine, vel
'ety coat, exquisitely colored white and
green the beautifully colored and rare
irus rosie; small, brown snipe, with a
',oon-shaped bill some handsome song
tiers. among which the syloid epersinaa nui,
which some days appeared on the coast in
immense nultitudes, probably on their
light to breeding grounds toward the
'orth, or to await the disappearance of the
now from the underground in the forest
q the interior. Beside those enumerated,
'ccordisg to Lieut.. Nordquist, here appears
'lso purely Scandinavian forms with more
n less variations in color, size, &c As far
. can DO determined, the writings we have
lad access to. several of the birds collected :.
~ the Peninsula seem absolutely new to
he Siberian fauna. When the collection
4 skins, skeletons and the notes We bring !,
'ome are elaborated, trust the Lieutenant
nay give . valuable contribution to the
knowledge Of the animal life of Siberia.
aiuable as well to scientists rs to hunters.
Sven the mammal fauna abounds more in
areties here than in the boreal regions 7
have hitherto visited. which is naturally
Explained b. the fact that the Peninsula is ),
'ound to agreat sylvan and fertile CONT. 70
ent from which migrasions occur without br
ny check. As to this, . further survey
An be given emily at later period. 10
NoTE-The common cider bird is not found here or Pc
least extremely eel dom. Va