perpetical Snow in Norway/ and Sweden. 307 



in horizontal distance northwards. In the same proportion as 

 the snow hne sinks, or the temperature decreases more suddenly 

 further north, the distance between cUmates near the sea, and 

 those in height, i. e. on the mountains, becomes still more trifling, 

 until at last the climates of both nearly meet at the North Cape. 

 Although the principal part of vegetation diminishes, as above 

 stated, according to the altitude, or in horizontal distance to- 

 wards the north, a great variety of plants are nevertheless found 

 in Lapland, and along the alpine chain, which do not grow in 

 the lowlands of Norway and Sweden. 



II. Sweden. 



At the North Cape, neither the ocean nor quicksilver ever 

 freeze. The greatest degree of cold during the winter there is 

 from -f 14° to + 10° 4/, seldom + 6° 8^, and commonly only 

 -h 21° to + 23°. The average temperature of the air through- 

 out the year is, however, nearly 30°, or two degrees below the 

 freezing point. At Upsala it is 42° ; at Christiana 43* ^ ; at 

 Paris 52° 4'. The sun at the North Cape is never visible from 

 the middle of November until the end of January ; but, on the 

 other hand, it never sinks below the horizon, or is out of sight, 

 from the middle of May to the end of July. 



The snow region at the North Cape is 2400 feet. At Lat. 

 70°, the shooting forth of the leaves takes place six or seven 

 weeks later than at Upsala, and three weeks later than at Tor- 

 nea. The small dwarf birch, mountain willows, small aspen, 

 bird-cherry, and mountain-ash, as also the dwarf grey alder, are 

 found only in the valleys and sheltered situations. 



From 70° to 69°. — Turnips and potatoes. General limits of 

 the birch-woods. General hmits of the pine-woods. Barley 

 reaches almost to the boundaries of the pine- woods, that is early 

 barley. 



From 69° to 68. — Bears in abundance. The general boun- 

 daries of the spruce fir to the north and east of the mountain 

 chain. Currants. Reindeer, wild and tame. 



From 68° to 67°. — Turnip cabbages. Cattle the principal 

 means of subsistence. Horse-radish. 



From 6T to 66°.— At 67° the snow region 4400 feet. North 



u2 



