On the Physical Geography of Norway. 



307 



Places where the Superior Limit of the Birch has 

 been observed. 



Mean Limit 

 of Birch in 



English ft. 



Snow Line in English ft. 



Inferred. 



Observed. 



Lat. 59J°. Gousta-field, Tellemarken (inland) \ 

 3500, 3290 Rhenish feet J 



Lat.59£°. Suledals-field, 3090, 2760 Uh.ft.(coast) 



Lat. 60°-61°. Hardanger-field, 3320, 3440 Rh. \ 

 ft., Fille-field, 3300, 3630 Rh. ft. (inland) J 



Lat.60°.Hardanger-fiord,Ullensvang2900 Rh. 1 

 ft.,Folgefond, 1900, 2100, Voss, 2630(coas«) J 



Lat. 62°. Lorn, central chain, 3150 Rh. ft.; Do- { 

 vre, 3370, 3350, 3600, 3220 ; Roraas, 3400 ; I 

 mean 3350 (inland) J 



Lat. 64°. North Throndhjems Amt, seven ob-^ 

 servations, of which the highest is 2130 | 

 Rh. ft. on the Swedish frontier; the lowest } 

 1790 Rh. ft. on the Bbrge-field; mean 2000 | 

 almost exactly ) 



Lat. 67°. Gilleskaal, Salten, near the sea, and \ 

 also near great Icefields of Fondal, 1200 V 

 Rh. ft. ; Stegen, 1320 (coast) J 



Lat. 67°. Sulitelma, W. side 1100, E. side 2100 1 

 Fr. ft. (inland) • . . . j 



Lat. 68°. Lofodden 1510,* 1070, 1030 Rh. ft.; j 

 mean (coast) J 



Lat. 69£°. Alten, Finmarken, and interior ge- \ 

 nerally, 1550, 1550, 1300, 1420, 1150; Kaa- ) 

 fiord, 1530 ; mean 1420 J 



Lat. 70°-6. Qualoe, 227 metres (Seiland, snow ) 

 line) (coast) j 



Lat. 7l°-2. Mageroe, North Cape, 130 metres 



3550 

 3010 

 3520 



2450 

 3450 



2060/ 



1300 



1710 

 1200 



1460 



750 

 430t 



5450 

 4910 

 5420 



4350 

 5350 



4110 



inland. 

 3810 

 coast. 



3200 



3610 

 3100 



3360 



2650 



5400 

 4370 



5300 



3460 



3480 

 2940 



By means of a graphical construction, derived from the 

 preceding table, I have succeeded better than I could have 

 expected, in representing the variation of the snow line, and 

 the limit of the birch in Norway, in terms of the latitude. 

 But it is absolutely necessary, on the roughest estimate, to 

 distinguish the Coast climate from the Inland climate. It 

 appears, on the slightest examination, that the limit both of 

 the birch and of perpetual snow rises as we recede from the 

 coast towards the interior, the amount, however, varying be- 

 tween one latitude and another. By Coast, be it observed, I 

 do not mean the actual shore exposed to the blast and spray 

 of the open ocean, but generally (with some exceptions, how- 



* Lcidingen, sheltered exposure, Von Buch. 



t From excessive exposure not comparable to the others. The same remark 

 ipplies in some degree to the preceding observations at Qualoe. 



