Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1968, Qupperneq 125

NÁT I ÚRUFRÆÐINGURINN
111
Johnsen, Baldur 1939: Observations on the Vegetation o£ the Westman Islands.
- Soc. Sci. Isl. XXII.
— 1948: Gróðurríki Vestmannaeyja. — Árbók Ferðafélags íslands, 1948, IX.
kafli, 184-190.
SUMMARY
Surtsey colonized by new species of plants
by
Eylhor Einarsson, Museurn of Natural History,
Reykjavik.
Cakile edentula (Bigel.) Hook. was found growing on the north coast of
Surtsey in 1965 and the same species again in 1966 together with Elymus
arenarius L., but both years the plants did not survive for niore than a few
weeks. This year the sante two species together with Honkenya peploides (L.)
Ehrh., Merthensia maritima (L.) S. F. Gray and Festuca rubra L. were observed
growing on Surtsey, sorne of those which startecl growing in June were still
alive three months later with ripe lruits. Two species of mosses, Funaria hygro-
metrica Hedw. and Bryum argentum Hedw. were also found growing on the
island this summer. Four of the vascular plant species liave without doubt
been dispersed to Surtsey by sea froní the Vestman Islands and the fifth
species, Festuca rubra, by sea or by birds. The mosses have probably been dis-
persed to Surtsey by man.
Sitt af hverju
Steingert dýr við beztn heilsu.
Árið 1896 fann dýrafræðingurinn Robert Broom leifar af kjálka
og höfuðkúpu úr litlu pokadýri, áður óþekktu, í helli einum í
Nýja Suður-Wales í Ástralíu. Dýrinu var gefið nafnið Burramys
parvus. Beinabrotin voru álitin frá því snemma á kvarter-tímanum,
eða 100 þús. til 1 millj. ára gömul. Ekki fannst meira af beinum
þarna fyrr en 1960, en fundur Brooms vakti mikla athygli, og það
því fremur sem beinin báru einkenni margra pokadýrategunda í