Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.06.1939, Blaðsíða 8

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eggs on the tops of the islands, and occasion a luxuriant
vegetation "puffin colony”. Uria troile L., Uria grylle L.,
Alca torda L., Rissa tridactyla L., and Fulmarus glacialis
L., on the other hand, lay their eggs on the outer edges of
the rocks on ledges and niches and there is usually a com-
plete lack of vegetation, with the exception of Fulmarus,
for when it does not nest on a sheer precipice its presence
always gives rise to a luxuriant vegetation, Angelica-
clusters. Where the gannet nests, which is on the tops of
the islands or around the cliffs, there is a complete lack
of vegetation. The eider duck, Somateria mollissima L.,
nests here and there in the islands but until a short time
ago their chief nesting place was in the lava. Larus mari-
nus L. also nests here and there in the islands.
III. PLANT FORMATIONS.
The plant formations in the Westmann Islands are not
very varied but somewhat unusual because of the bird
colonies; they may be divided into three main groups:
A. Uncultivated soil,
B. Bird colonies,
C. Cultivated soil.
A. UNCULTIVATED SOIL.
The uncultivated soil covers about one half of the low-
land of Heimaey and much of the hills and headlands and
the cliffs and tops of the islands, where the birds, because
of the situation with regard to the sea and insufficient
slope, have not been able to settle. The uncultivated land
may be divided into four chief groups, gravel, peat, blóm-
lendi (literally-flower vegetation; there is no good transla-
tion for this word), and dry meadow land.