Spring (months iii. iv. and v.) mean from the highest observations....................... 29°*80
Ditto from the lowest ........................................................... ........................ 19 *89
Difference .......... 9 Ԥ1
Summer (months vi. vii. and viii.) mean from the highest observations................... 58 *86
Ditto from the lowest 51 *21
Difference . 7 *45
Autumn (months ix. x. and xi.) mean from the highest observations ........ .. *. . . 31 *33
Ditto from the lowest................................ 23 *00
Difference . ............ 8 ‘33
Such a climate must be admitted to be very singular. The mean
temperature o f the year is 26°-85, and the mean of the month of
February is o°-55, yet the mean temperature of the month of July
is 5q°'63. In consequence of this high temperature the country is not
only capable of producing trees but even pot-herbs. This is exactly
analogous to the climate of Siberia.
But there is another portion of Lapland which has a climate nearly
similar to that o f Iceland ; namely, that portion which lies between
the Lapland Alps and the sea, and which belongs to Norway. Here
we find quite another progression of temperature. Here the heat is
almost entirely regulated by the latitude o f the place, provided always
that the distance of the place where the observations are made be not
great from the sea. For even in that country there are some valleys
surrounded on all sides by mountains, which are pretty warm. The
following table exhibits the mean temperature of the different months
at Nidrosia, which from the similarity of situation must be nearly the
same as that o f Norwegian Lapland.
January ................................. 19'58
February........................................ 26-06
M a r ch ................... 20-66
A p r i l ................. 34-38
M a y . .......... 50’81
June .............................................. 6Q'7(3
J u ly .............. 64-q6
Allgu s t............................................ 50-45
September...................................... 53-87
October..................... 39-25
November...................................... 27-5?
December .................. 24-53
Annual mean......................... 40-06
W e see from this table how much more temperate the winter is in
Norwegian Lapland than in Swedish Lapland. Hence the mean temperature
of the year is much higher; nearly as high indeed as it is in
Upsala, seven or eight degrees farther to the south. - Hence, the reason
why the hazle and several other plants which are natives o f more
southern climates vegetate without difficulty in Norwegian Lapland.
When we go very far north we find the winters indeed remaining comparatively
mild, but the summers are too cold for the vegetation o f most
plants. This appears from the following curious table o f the temperature
o f Mageroa, near the North-Cape, drawn up from the observations
of Von Buch:
P •
January ..................... 22-08
February........................................ 23-16
M a r ch ........................................... 2 4 7 1
A p r i l ......................................... 30-02
M a y ................... 34-07
June................................................ 40*14
July .......................................... 4#42
August..................... 4370
September.......................... .. 37'62
October .......................... 32-00
November...................................... 2575
December................... 2 5 7 4
Annual mean................ 32*13
2 t 2