Ch.VI] COLD TEMPERATE WOODLAND AND GRASSLAND 551 



4. THE HUNGARIAN PLAIN. 



The steppe of the Hungarian plain exhibits close climatic similarity to 

 that of South Russia. Hann mentions as its characteristics when con- 

 trasted with the surrounding forest district — greater extremes of tempera- 

 ture, limitation of the period free from frost to the actual summer months, 

 a drier summer (i.e. late summer) and autumn, and dry winds. 



Hunfalvy's monograph 1 gives more detailed data regarding the climate of 

 the Hungarian steppe: — 



' In both basins (of the lowland) January is the coldest month, and the mean tempera- 

 ture sinks everywhere below 0° R. . . . The mean temperature of February is 1-3 

 degrees higher at some stations, but is still below o° at others. The mean tempera- 

 ture of March is 3-4 degrees higher than that of February. In April, May, and 

 June the temperature rises still higher, and attains its maximum in July (at some 

 stations in June or August). In September and October the mean tempera- 

 ture falls only moderately, but so much the more rapidly in November and 

 December. In the western and southern border district, January is relatively 

 milder than in the lowland, but the summer months also are less hot, and the 

 temperature of the hottest and coldest months reaches only 16-19 , whilst in the 

 lowland it is 17-21 .' 



On the average the mean relative atmospheric humidity, according to the different 

 seasons of the year, is as follows: — 



AVERAGE MEAN RELATIVE ATMOSPHERIC HUMIDITY OF THE 

 SEVERAL SEASONS IN THE HUNGARIAN PLAIN. 

 (After Hunfalvy, op. cit., p. 290.) 



The table shows that the relative atmospheric humidity is least in the lowland 

 and greatest in the highland. In the lowland, however, the average minima of atmo- 

 spheric humidity are very low, as the following table shows : — 



1 Hunfalvy, op. cit. 



