1814.] Limits of perpetual Snow in the North. 217 



a glacier, similar to one of tlic glaciers of Grindenwalds. The ice 

 pushes evidently from imder the snow, which covers the whole 

 mountain, and passes without interruption to the deep. According 

 to Mr. Hertzberg, its under side is about 1130 English feet above 

 the sea. The considerable brook at Maire, on the southern extre- 

 mity of the mountain, owes its origin to a similar glacier. 



h'ol(Tvfonden presents us with all the a[)pearances of a mountain 

 chain, wliich not only reaches the snow line, but extendi a consi- 

 derable way above it ; yet tlie greatest iieight of this mountain is 

 inferior to that of FiUf-Jieldt, which only readies the snow line. 

 Mr. Hertzberg is of opinion that the snow line on Folge-Fondeit 

 cannot be placed higher than 5115 English feet above the level of 

 the sea: and other circumstances confirm this opinion. The 

 .\1 elder skin, a high peak above Rosendal in Qui/idhcrred, never is 

 destitute of snow upon its summit. Upon its cast side there is even a 

 commencement of a glacier; yet its heights ascertained by the 

 barometer, is only 4'^()0 English feet. The same apj)eiirances are 

 observable at Solen-NudfTi, one of the summits vvith v/hich Folge- 

 Fonden f:dls into the Soefiord above Ulensvavg ; yet Solen-Niiden 

 is only -l/'^S English feet high. Flakes of snow lie even upon 

 ylge-Nuden, though that mountain is only 4587 English feet high. 

 One might easily account for this sudden sinking of the snow- 

 line, by the neighbourhood of the sea. The almost constant fog over 

 tlie outermost islands, the covering of clouds, the ruin, exclude the 

 influence of the sun from the ground. The amount of the heat of 

 the summer months, during which alone the snow melts, is in 

 these wet j)laces much smaller thiin deeper within the land and on 

 the mountains, where the cooling of the sea air being less rapid, 

 the production of vapour is less striking; but this explanation could 

 not be applied with accuracy to Folge-Fo/iden. This mountain is 

 probably too far removed from the action of the main ocean ; for 

 according to the five years' observation of Mr. Hertzberg, at Mal~ 

 manger, in Quindfierred, the months of June and July fall short of 

 the heat of the same months at Upsala ; but the case is different in 

 harvest, and in the early part of the year. The temperature of 

 September at Upsala is r;2-^° ; at Malnianger it is 56^°. The lieat 

 of October at Upsala is 43-63° ; at Malmanger, 48-9°. The same ' 

 thing holds in the beginning of the year. The temperature of April 

 in Upsala is only 40*01° ; while at Malnianger it is 44'4°. In May 

 the temperature of Upsala is 49-01° ; at Malmanger, 52-81°. The 

 effect of summer is also greater at Hardanger than on the east side 

 of the great mountains, and farther from the sea ; and should this 

 difference in the temperature of spring and harvest diminish as we 

 approach hangfudden on both sides of the mountains, as the warm 

 south and west wind may be conceived to produce a greater effect 

 there than upon the more remote country of Upsala ; yet thb 

 would not explain the great difference in the height of the snow 

 line above Hardanger and on Fillejletdt. 

 With greater probability, may we ascribe the lower level of the 



7 



