A VENERABLE CLIMATIC FALLACY 187 



by a railroad, while settlements extend nearly 300 miles farther 

 north. In this region, however, the warm currents of the Atlantic 

 have very considerable special effects. Iceland, the home of a 

 creditable civilization, lies only a little south of the Circle in the 

 midst of the narrowed portion of the Atlantic. The climate of east 

 Greenland is notably depressed by an ice-bearing ocean stream 

 that hugs the eastern coast, but on the western side, facing Davis 

 Strait, the Arctic Circle cuts across the Danish colony, passing 

 between the two capitals, Godhaab and Godhavn, This region, 

 which has special interest from the climatic point of view, will be 

 discussed more at length in a later article. In crossing North 

 America, coniferous forests, native settlements, and traders' stations 

 are encountered. The western coast is reached between the settle- 

 ments Kalzebue and Kawalik, not far north of Nome. 



Taking this whole land circuit together, it appears that after 

 balancing the effects of warm currents against those of cold currents, 

 the climatic picture stands in distinct contrast to that of the sea- 

 girt coast of Antarctica. 



Within the Polar Circles. — Within the Antarctic Circle nothing 

 but severity and inhospitality of climate prevails. Such large living 

 animals as inhabit the region live almost exclusively on sea-food 

 brought to the Antarctic coasts by undercurrents of the sea and 

 take on forms peculiarly adapted to this subsistence on imported 

 food and to the severity of the climate. 



The climatic import here, however, is confused by complications, 

 and must be taken with some reserve on account of this. The area 

 within the Antarctic Circle is chiefly land, while the area without 

 is sea. The area within is not only land, but exceptionally elevated 

 land, on the average, so far as known, and this elevation introduces 

 a special factor which may be as important or even more important 

 than either sea or land independent of elevation. 



Within the Arctic Circle, the conditions are also peculiar in 

 that a frozen sea occupies the center, surrounded by a ring of land 

 broken by sea gaps. A frozen sea in such high latitude is almost 

 constantly covered by snow, as is the land part of the season. A 

 normal comparison of water surface with land surface is scarcely 

 possible. Within the North Polar Circle, however, there is indige- 



