160 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHERN RUSSIA. 



tude, viz., 63. Nature, as the author himself had an 

 opportunity of observing, here assumes an imposing aspect 

 immense forests, vast rivers, beautiful meadows flourish- 

 ing in all the unexhausted luxuriance of primitive vegeta- 

 tion, make an impression on the traveller that can only be 

 adequately conceived by those who have wandered through 

 the unexplored forests, and beheld the majestic streams of 

 the New World. 



Thus do we pass from the Arctic Circle into the tem- 

 perate zone, finding each stage marked by a change in 

 the character of the vegetation. And the vegetation char- 

 acteristic of the several regions which have been so defined 

 may with interest be studied in its details. 



It will be found that even the icy region of the Arctic 

 Circle is not without its vegetation ; marine algce of more 

 or less complex structure may be considered the primary 

 food of all organisms in that region belonging to the 

 animal kingdom. Here, as in the study of fossils, the 

 existence of animals may be accepted as indicative of the 

 existence at the same time and place of vegetable organ- 

 isms j and here the abundant fauna speaks of a most 

 abundant flora. 



With regard to the wide dispersion of fish, both in the 

 northern portion of the temperate zone and within the 

 Arctic Circle, it is stated by the author of The Arctic 

 World: its Plants, Animals, and Natural Phenomena* 



' The wealth of the Arctic and sub- Arctic seas is appar- 

 ently inexhaustible. In many parts cod are plentiful, and 

 supply the Greenlanders with a valuable article of food. 

 The capelin (Mnllotus vitlosus), which in May and June 

 frequents the Greenland waters, is eaten both fresh and 

 dried ; in the latter case forming a useful winter pro- 

 vision. The halibut is found of a large size; and ocean 

 also contributes the Norway haddock, the salmon-trout, 



* London : T. Nelson & Sona. 



