168 The Influence of the Soil 



sea, the whole country is thickly set with mountains, some of 

 which terminate in sharp ridges ; but the greater number are 

 depressed at their summits, and rise gradually, forming a se- 

 ries of rounded eminences. None of these attain the height 

 of 7500 feet, and consequently do not approach the limits of 

 perpetual snow ; which, in the central chain, are found at 

 8200 feet: the greater part, however, have an altitude of more 

 than 5000 feet, and the remainder at least above 3500 feet. — 

 The country is watered by three rapid streams ; while coolness 

 and humidity are everywhere supported by springs, which are 

 more considerable, but of less frequent occurrence, in the cal- 

 careous than in the primitive rocks. 



The temperature of springs being in general equal to the 

 mean temperature of the year, the author has given a table of 

 all those which have come under his notice. These tempe- 

 ratures are the mean results of many observations, and are ac- 

 companied by notices of the height of the springs, and the 

 nature of the rocks through which they flow. As a total, their 

 temperature varies between 2,9° and 7,1° It. These figures 

 may be taken as representing the mean atmospheric tempera- 

 ture, the law being confirmed by the author's observations in 

 the town of Kitzblihel itself; for the mean temperature of all 

 the springs in that town is 6,1° It. and the mean atmospheric 

 temperature of the year 6,2° R. Besides these springs, the 

 country contains many pieces of water, one of which, called 

 Walchsee, is more than a league in circumference. 



Placed between the primitive formations of the central 

 chain, and the secondary beds of the alpine limestone, the ter- 

 ritory of Kitzblihel belongs almost entirely to the transition 

 rocks. We cannot here enter upon the purely geological re- 

 flections of the author ; numerous sections are designed to 

 give an exact idea of the geognostic constitution of the coun- 

 try, and of the different modes of superposition of the beds. 

 We speak only to botanists, and the nature of the surface of 

 the soil is all that possesses an interest for them. 



The argillaceous schist occupies about two thirds of the 

 country, but it is traversed from east to west by bands of 

 schistose grauwacke, of freestone, (Uebergangs-Sandstein), 

 and of mountain limestone ; the latter forming, almost exclu- 

 sively, the northern part of the district. 



The argillaceous schist is coarse and of an ashy colour, and 

 encloses pebbles of quartz. It is frequently found alternating 

 with schistose grauwacke. The limestone is in grains not so 

 fine as those of the primitive limestone ; its angles are less a- 

 cute ; its colour is white, yellowish, or greyish ; and it con- 

 tains a small portion of oxide of iron. It is this which forms 



