Highest Limits of Animal Life in the Alps. 299 



is much less severe than that of northern Asia, and is more 

 constant than that of Polar America. Their minima of win- 

 ter are much surpassed by nearly all stations in northern 

 latitudes ; but the maxima of summer are colder than those 

 of nearly all points on high latitudes at little elevation above 

 the sea. 



Section IV. — Botanical Geography of the Alps, 

 The fourth and last part of the work treats in an interest- 

 ing manner on the botanical geography of the Alps in the 

 following order : — 1. The limits of vegetation according to 

 elevation ; 2. The periodical phenomena of vegetation ; 3. 

 The influence of vegetation on the thickness of the annual 

 rings of the coniferse ; and, 4. A particular account of the 

 vegetation of the upper valley of the Moll. 



We cannot venture to notice more particularly this valu- 

 able part of the work, but conclude our very imperfect notice 

 with the following extract on the highest limits of animal 

 life in the Alps : — 



" The occurrence of animals in the higher parts of the 

 mountains is connected in various ways with the vegetation 

 which affords food or shelter to them. This is very clearly 

 seen in examining the heights to which the cow, sheep, or 

 goat attain. Their limits generally coincide with those of 

 the Alpine pastures, a regular coating of grass. Cattle, 

 however, seldom go up to the extreme boundary, since they 

 are unable to climb so great a height, where the slopes are 

 also steeper ; and more extensive pastures are necessary to 

 render dairy farming profitable. We may take 6500 feet as 

 a tolerably universal limit for cows in the central Alps, 

 while the sheep-Alps reach 7000 or 7200 feet, and the highest 

 regular meadow-like surfaces about 7800. But isolated 

 patches of turf are sought out by sheep and goats far higher, 

 and the traveller is sometimes surprised by meeting little 

 flocks of these agile creatures at elevations of 8500 or even 

 9000 feet. The chamois and wild goat, which occur but 

 rarely in the Monte Rosa group, ascend to very considerable 

 heights ; but traces of the former are seldom seen above 

 10,500 feet. These animals climb highest in the passes con- 

 nectingy?r/i-basins and valleys. Foxes often reach to a height 



