716 ' WINDSOFTHEGLOBE. 



surrounding countries, and the local monsoon influence, act in tlie same direction, as 

 the land is to the S., the ocean to the N. In summer they counteract one another. 

 Besides this, the character of the Arctic Ocean must be considered. It is traversed 

 by a warm current, and at no time of the year do icebergs approach the coast of Nor- 

 way. Even in the summer the temperature of its waters is higlier than that of the 

 air on the land. On such a sea a low pressure must prevail, and its monsoon- 

 producing influence in summer cannot be compared with that of an ice-laden sea. 



In northern Sweden the wind has also a southerly direction. The Gulf of 

 Bothnia has but very little influence, being a small body of water and frozen to a 

 great extent in winter, otherwise we would have northerly winds in winter, while 

 the Arctic Ocean attracts the air so strongly that no other influence is to be con- 

 sidered in comparison. The S. winds of summer may be partly sea-winds. 



In southern Sweden the winds are S. W. in the winter, and W. in summer. The 

 influence of the low pressure in the interior of the continent begins to be felt 

 here at the latter season. (See Plates 5, 6, 9 and 14.) 



Bear Island, between Norway and Spitzbergen, lies N. of the warm current of 

 the Gulf-stream. Accordingly the Polar current (E.) is largely prevailing in 

 winter, while the winds of summer are more variable. Bear Island has a position 

 very like that of Iceland, yet it is more clearly north of the warm ocean-current 

 with its low pressure. Besides, at times the island is surrounded by extensive 

 ice-fields, and the temperature sometimes sinks very low over them, and consequently 

 pressure increases. 



Iceland and Bear Island are important stations, proving the existence of pre- 

 vailing polar winds N., N. E., E. in the waters north of Europe, and north of the 

 warm current of the Gulf-stream, while all stations in the extreme north on the 

 continent of Europe still have equatorial winds (S., S. W., W.). Thus, the division 

 line between the two systems of winds is proved to be the belt of low pressure along 

 the warm ocean-current. (See maps, Plates 5, 6 and 7.) 



The winds of Spitzbergen seem to be more influenced by the relative position 

 of land and sea than those of Bear Island. In winter they blow from the land, as 

 is seen by the observations of Mossel-Bay, on the N. shore of the principal island, 

 and Ice-Fjord on the S. shore of the same. 



CENTRAL EUROPE. 



Southwesterly and westerly winds prevail also in the rest of western Europe, 

 that is, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France. 

 This is evident from the following table of percentages: — 



