60 Geograipihy of the Trees and Shruhs 



of 5etula n^na, and of some of the species of willow, are only to be met with. 

 The common birch is found at Hosperdet, in a bay of the Icy Sea ; only, 

 however, in the foi-m of a low bush. At Alten the birch becomes a lofty tree, 

 forming woods ; and to it are soon added Populus tremula, i'^rbus aucuparia, 

 and J'lnus incana, which are found at Kirstrand, and at Tana Elv, in lat. 70i. 

 Proceeding southward, the next large tree met with is Phius sylvestris, which 

 is found at Alten, in lat. 70°. Cerasus Padus and i/uniperus communis reach 

 to the same degree of latitude. J^bies excelsa is found on the east side of the 

 Scandinavian mountains, in lat. 68-69° \ but, on the western side, not before 

 coming to Kunnen, in lat. 67°. On the whole, the coast climate is less 

 favourable to the fir than to the pine ; the former is, therefore, more scarce on 

 the western coast of Norway than to the eastward of the Scandinavian 

 mountains, and does not grow wild in Scotland. 



The climate of the coast is more propitious to C'orylus Jvellana, which is 

 found on the west side of Heligoland, in lat. 66° | while, on the eastern side of 

 the great mountain range, it reaches only to lat. 60-61°, and though met 

 with more to the northward, in the Gulf of Bothnia, yet it does not go beyond 

 63° at Agermanna Elf. The lime tree (Tilia europ^^a) is first met with at 

 Oeland, on the western coast of Norway, lat. 64°; but, in the Gulf of 

 Bothnia, it reaches as far as Agermanna Elf, lat. 63°. 



On the western coast of Norway, in lat. 63°, several important trees make 

 their appearance for the first time ; viz. Quercus i?6bur, C/'lmus campestris, 

 J^cer jalatanoides, Taxus baccata, jPraxinus excelsior, J'lnus glutinosa. The 

 oak is found in the west of Norway, at Egsund, in Sondermor (lat. 63°) : in 

 the east of Norway it reaches only to Skudsmoe, lat. 60°. In the west of 

 Sweden its northern boundary terminates in lat. 59° ; but it ascends again in 

 the Gulf of Bothnia to 60^°, at Gefle. C/'lmus campestris, which is also found 

 at Sondermor, extends in the Gulf of Bothnia to the same degree of latitude. 

 The boundary of the ^''cer jolatanoides is on the west coast of Norway, at 

 Roesdalen j in the midland districts of Sweden it descends to 60°, but rises 

 again on the east coast to 63°. The yew (Taxus baccata) extends to the 

 same degree of latitude on the west coast, but in Sweden not farther than 605°. 

 The ash, on the othc,/ hand, extends in Sweden to 62^, only one degree more 

 southward than on the west coast of Norway. ^'Inus glutinosa is found east 

 ward of the Scandinavian mountains only as far as 61-62°; but on the east 

 coast it ascends again to the same degree of latitude as on the western 

 coast, 63°. The hawthorn is found at Vedoen, on the coast of Norway, 

 lat. 62i° : in the east of Norway it does not go beyond 61°, and in Sweden 

 not beyond 60°. The northern boundary of the Prunus spinosa is, on both 

 sides, at 60°. 



The northern boundary of the beech (Pagus sylvatica), on the other hand, 

 descends considerably towards the east. Laurvig is the most northern point 

 where the beech is found in Norway (lat. 59°). On the west coast of Sweden 

 it goes to 58° : on the east coast, not farther north than Calmar, 56-57°. 

 The hornbeam (Carpinus Petulus) and the common maple (^A^cex campestre) 

 are only met with in the southernmost parts of Sweden. The northern 

 boundary of the former is at 57°, of the latter ?)%°. 



The most common trees in the Scandinavian peninsula are, the birch, 

 Scotch pine, and fir. Of these, the birch is found growing nearest to the 

 summit of the mountams, and is succeeded by the fir. With respect to 

 elevation, therefore, three regions may be assumed : that of the Scotch pine 

 and fir; that of the birch, where the pine disappears and the birch forms 

 woods ; and, lastly, the rocky region, where there are no trees to be found, 

 but only herbs and low shrubs, such as the dwarf birch, and the smaller sorts 

 of willow. 



The boundary of the woods of birch descends considerably towards the 

 ocean. In Lapland, in lat. 67°, on the east side of the Scandinavian moun- 

 tains, it is found at 2200 ft. above the level of the sea ; but on the west side at 

 1200ft. In the south of Norway, in lat. C0°, it is 3600ft. on the east side; 



