86 THE BUTTERFLIES OF NEW ENGLAND. 



are the drift-veneered islands, without a parallel on the Atlantic coast ; 

 and on the east, the beginning of a system of rocky fiords, unknown south 

 of New York, but recurring in greater strength far north in Labrador. 



Thus isolated and distinguished from its neighbors, New England offers 

 an interesting and a difficult field of study to the geographer. While the 

 relations of its several parts have been briefly outlined in this chapter, the 

 observer on the ground will find that nuich more remains to be done than 

 has yet been accomplished in the way of minute and systematic recognition 

 of scenic features. The elements of the present heterogeneous topo- 

 graphy, dependent on obscure complications of rock structure and discor- 

 dant sequence of geological process, will long remain subjects for further 

 investigation. 



THE CLIMATE OF NEW ENGLAND. BY W. M. DAVIS. 



Etiuliez iuissi les moments de l'aiiii6e : 

 L'annee a son aurore, ainsi que la journ6e. 

 Ah! malbeureux qui perd uu spectacle si beau! 

 Le jeune papillon, 6chapp6 du tombeau, 

 Qui surles fruits naissants, qui sur les fleurs nouvelles. 

 S'envole frais, Ijrillaut, 6panoui comme elles, 

 Jouit moins, au sortir de sa triste prison. 

 Que le sage, au retour de la jeune saison, 

 Lorsque sur les coteaux, sur les monts, dans les plaines, 

 Tout est gazon, z6pbyr, ou ruisseaux ou fontaines. 



Delille. — U Homme des Champs. 



The climate of New England is as rugged as its surface. Its position 

 on the eastern, leeward side of North America gives it the great variations 

 characteristic of a continental climate rather than the equable conditions of 

 a maritime province. It lies midway in a region having an exceptionally 

 rapid northward decrease of temperature, from the warm Southern States 

 to the cold plains beyond the Great Lakes, and from the mild waters of 

 the Gulf Stream to the ice-bearing current of Labrador ; and every change 

 of wind therefore brings it a change of weather. It lies close to a point 

 of convergence of numerous storm-tracks, along which, especially in winter, 

 cyclonic storms pass eastward more frequently and more rapidly tlian any- 

 where else in the world ; and changes of weather are therefore conunon, 

 sudden and violent. 



The seasons are strongly contrasted. The winter is long and severe, 

 from its violent changes as well as from its low mean and extreme temper- 

 ature : in the northern interior, snow commonly falls in November and 

 remains till April and its midwinter depth may exceed two or three feet. 

 The spring is short, with a rapid rise of temperature in April and May. 

 The summer is warm and its weather is much more equable than in winter : 

 warm days are recorded well into September and spells of mild weatlier 

 characterize October. 



