171 



THE YEGETATIO]^ OF SPITZBERGEN COMPARED "WITH THAT 



OE THE ALPS AND PYRJ^NEES. 



By Chas. Martins 

 Frof. of Natural History, and Director of the " JardiAi des Plantes,^^ <icc., at 



Montpellier. 



(Gontinued from page 141. ) 



IV.-— THE VEGETATION OF SPITZBERGBN AND LAPLAND COMPARED WITH THAT OP 



THE ALPS. 



The polar flora is circumscribed by an impassable barrier — the beats of 

 summer — ; but before tbe present geological epoch the earth passed through 

 a period of great cold ; glaciers in the form of a cap which surrounded the 

 pole, stretched as far south as central Europe, America, and Asia, lowering 

 the temperature, and transporting great blocks of stone, and masses of sand 

 and gravel, carrying with them the plants which grew thereon, which were 

 thus propagated little by little towards the south. Afterwards when a higher 

 temperature supervened, melting the glaciers and causing them to retreat 

 northwards, these plants overtaken by the heat, disappeared from nearly all 

 the plains of Europe, but retained their stations" on the mountains, such as the 

 Sudetes, which comprise the whole chain of northern Germany, the Hartz, 

 the Yosges, and above all the Alps. According to M. Heer, Switzerland 

 counts 360 alpine species, of which 158 are found in the north of Europe ; 

 and he also enumerates 42 of them which are even found in the plains of the 

 Canton of Zurich. 



The Eaulhorn in the Canton of Berne is terminated by a cone rising 

 from a plateau on which is a small glacier. This cone having a gradual slope 

 towards the south, forms an abrupt precipice to the north ; its height is 65 

 metres (221 feet) its superficies is 4|- hectares (4 J acres) and the summit 

 is 2683 metres (8,800 feet) above the level of the sea. Upon this cone, 

 covered with snow during eight months of the year, I have gathered, vsdth 

 my friend M. Bravais, during several visits in the years 1841-2-4-6, 132 

 species of flowering plants, of which I append a list, revised and corrected 

 by my late lamented friend M. Jean Gay, to wb.om alpine botany owes so 

 much : — 



