270 ANNUAL KEPOET SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 193 4 



neither butterflies nor moths. Half way between Spitzbergen and 

 the North Cape lies Bear Island. Bear Island is almost entirely 

 ice-bound, and is colder than Spitzbergen. Here also there are 

 neither butterflies nor moths. 



Far to the southward of Novaya Zemlya's latitude — indeed south 

 of the Arctic Circle which it only just reaches in its northern por- 

 tion — is the large and interesting island known as Iceland, The cli- 

 mate of Iceland is not nearly so severe as might be expected from 

 its latitude. In the south it is very wet, the rainfall is considerable, 

 and snow storms and gales are frequent in the winter. The winter 

 temperature is about 29°, and the summer temperature is about 53°. 

 But the temperature varies much from year to year, the average 

 temperature of the same month having been known to differ by as 

 much as 27° in different years. 



In the north of Iceland (at Akureyi) the climate is dry and reg- 

 ular. The summer temperature is about 45°, and the winter about 

 20°. 



There are many different kinds of plants in Iceland but no trees, 

 except for a few dwarf birches and some Avillow and juniper bushes. 



In Iceland there are about 35 different kinds of moths, but there 

 are no native butterflies. Four kinds of butterflies have been cap- 

 tured there, but all of them are stragglers from beyond the sea. 

 These four visitors are the common cabbage butterfly {Pleris 

 rapae), the red admiral {Vanessa atala7ita)^ the painted lady (F. 

 cardui), and the American painted lady (F, mrginiensis) . The 

 painted lady is the most frequent visitor, and in some years rather 

 numerous individuals cross the sea and reach the island. For in- 

 stance, in July 1894 no less than five were captured. Nine other 

 kinds of butterflies have been said to have been found in Iceland, 

 but the records are erroneous. Iceland is too stormy and too wet 

 for butterflies. 



Much farther south than Iceland, between the parallels of 51° and 

 55° north latitude in the North Pacific, lie the Aleutian Islands, of 

 wdiich the southernmost is in approximately the same latitude as Lon- 

 don. Here the climate is very mild. In the winter the average tem- 

 perature is scarcely less than 20°, though on occasion it may go as 

 low as 7°. Throughout the winter months the temperature on certain 

 days may rise above the freezing point. The soil does not freeze 

 deeper than a foot or so at most, and in some winters it does not 

 freeze at all. The sea about these islands is open throughout the 

 winter. 



The seasons here are only two, a prolonged early spring and a short 

 mild winter. But the sun is almost never seen. Gales and storms of 



