CLIMATE OF THE TUNDRA 415 



forest growth, whither it has retired for the winter. For 

 two months in midwinter the sun never rises above the 

 horizon, and the white snow reflects only the fitful light 

 of the moon, the stars, or the aurora borealis. Early in 

 February the sun just peeps upon the scene for a few 

 minutes at noon and then retires. Day by day he 

 prolongs his visit more and more, until February, March, 

 April, and May have passed, and continuous night has 

 become continuous day. Early in June the sun only just 

 touches the horizon at midnight, but does not set any 

 more for some time. At midday the sun's rays are hot 

 enough to blister the skin, but they glance harmless from 

 the snow, and for a few days you have the anomaly of 

 unbroken day in midwinter. 



Then comes the south wind, and often rain, and the 

 great event of the year takes place — the ice on the great 

 rivers breaks up, and the blanket of snow melts away. 

 The black earth absorbs the heat of the never-settino- 

 sun ; quietly but swiftly vegetable life awakes from its 

 long sleep, and for three months a hot summer produces 

 a brilliant alpine flora, like an English flower-garden run 

 wild, and a profusion of alpine fruit, diversified only by 

 storms from the north, which sometimes for a day or two 

 bring cold and rain down from the Arctic ice. 



But early in August the sun begins to dip for a 

 few moments below the horizon, and every succeeding 

 midnight sees him hide longer and longer, until, in 

 September, the nights are cold, the frost kills vegeta- 

 tion, and early in October winter has set in and snow 

 has fallen, not to melt again for eight months. The 

 nights get longer and longer, until towards the end of 

 November the sun has ceased to take its midday peep at 

 the endless fields of snow, and the two months' nieht and 

 silence reign supreme. 



