Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/432

408 to one another, arose four pinnacles, which we estimated to be not less than two hundred feet above the water-line. By what means icebergs assume these peculiar shapes does not appear to me satis- factorily explained. It is evident that subaerial destruction can have little or nothing to do with the shaping of these extraordinary monuments, and it is difficult to imagine why subaqueous action should exert its influence so irregularly, as evidenced in the pinnacled bergs of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait.

On the k 28th July we anchored in Foulke Fiord, on the opposite side of the bay to where Dr. Hayes wintered in 1860–61. Landing near Jensen Point, of Dr. Hayes' chart,* we ascended a valley lying on the north side of the Dodge range of hills. In the valley were many traces of Reindeer, shed antlers and footprints being common, but we were not so fortunate as to see any of the animals themselves. Some of our companions who landed on the south side of Foulke Fiord discovered a herd of Reindeer, and secured one. The valley by which we proceeded inland was in some parts swampy, but supported a fair amount of vegetation. The arctic poppy, Papaver alpinum, was in full bloom, and actually made some spots look quite gay with its yellow flowers. I also noticed, for the first time, the beautiful Cheiranthus pygmæus growing on rocky slopes, taking the place in these Arctic wilds of our familiar wallflower. The only birds observed inland were a few Snow Buntings in family groups, the old birds of which were putting on their winter plumage. Beside a marshy rill, six Knots, Tringa canutus, were seen, and one of them secured. No doubt these latter birds were breeding in the vicinity. I was somewhat astonished at the time to meet with two butterflies (Argynnis chariclea), a large bee (Bombus balteatus), a crane-fly, Tipula arctica, and another fly which was very abundant, standing dead on stones near streams. I could not understand how the last-named resisted being swept away by the force of the winds, until I discovered that each dead fly adhered by its proboscis so firmly to the stone that the head parted from the body when an attempt was made to disengage it. Numerous traces of Eskimo inhabitants were observed during our wanderings inland, especially fox-traps, in one of which I found a fine Blue Fox ; so it was evident that the Eskimo had only recently left the neighbourhood.

'The Open Polar Sea,' p. 06.