Norway

The most notable falls occur in the courses of the shorter and more rapid western streams. Some of the most striking, in order from the south, are: Voringfos (535 ft.) on the Bjoreia and Skjaeggedalsfos (525) on the Tyssaa—these two are in the Har danger fjord area. Around Sogne fjord are several, of which Vet tisf os (85o ft.) on the MorkedOla is probably the most interesting. The famous "Seven Sisters Falls" are in a branch of the Storfjord, while the Namsenelv (85 m.) a popular salmon river entering Namsenfjord has Fiskumfos (los ft.) and several others. The Arctic ocean rivers have gentle gradients, occasional rapids but no important waterfalls. Two longer ones are the Altenelv (I I 2 m.), which drains into the Alte fjord, but unfortunately its val ley affords no route of importance and the Tanaelv (I 20 m. long— third longest river of Norway) which drains a considerable area in Norway and Finland, but the absence of lakes results in summer floods increased by the presence of ice dams. The lower river is wide (about 2,000 yd.) and tidal for 6 or 7 m., and is ascended by small vessels. River boats are used along certain river stretches below and above the Storfos rapids which occur about 45 m. from the mouth of the river and have a fall that averages 23 ft. in i,o00 yards.

Flora.

The forests of Norway consist chiefly of conifers. The principal forest regions are in the south-east and south. In the Trondhjem area and in Nordland there are extensive forests of pine and spruce with the pine on the drier, higher, and less con genial parts. In south-east Norway the conifer tracts extend from sea-level to 2,500 to 3,00o ft.; in the inland parts of the Trond hjem region the upper limit sinks to 2,000 ft.; while on the coast the upper limit is only from 600 to 1,200 ft.; farther north the spruce disappears and the pine limit falls to 700 ft. about 70° N. Above and north of the conifers is the birch belt; next follow various species of willows, and the dwarf birch, and last of all, before the snow-line, the lichen belt, in which the reindeer "moss" is always conspicuous, but a few flowering plants, shrubs and trees of the willow belt sometimes extend close up to the snow line. Even among the conifers there is a sprinkling of other trees—lowland birches, aspens and rowans in the high north, while in the south and less elevated districts the lowest zone of forests includes the ash, elm, lime, oak, beech and black alder; but the beech is much rarer than in Sweden and, in fact, flour ishes only near the Skagerak; here and elsewhere the extreme coast region is destitute of forest. The richest flora is found in the inland fjord valleys, but the Dovre fjeld is the district in which Arctic flora may be studied in great variety and within narrow limits. Marine flora is very finely developed on the coastal banks.

Fauna.—The great forests are still the haunt of the bear, the lynx, and the wolf. Bears are chiefly restricted to the uplands north of Trondhjem, and the cutting of forests has limited their range to the least accessible highlands. The wolves decreased very suddenly in south Norway about the middle of the 19th century, probably owing to disease, and during the last half century have continued to decrease in the north ; but they are still abundant in Finmark, and are the worst enemy of the rein deer. The elk occurs in the eastern forests, and near the coast in the Trondhjem district, but is now becoming rare. The red deer is confined chiefly to the west coast districts; its principal haunt is the island of Hitteren, off the Trondhjem fjord. It is usually regarded as a survival of the oak age. On the high fjelds are found the wild reindeer, glutton, lemming and the fox. The wild reindeer, which occurs in Finmark has decreased, though large tame herds are kept by the Lapps. The lemming is noted for its curious non-periodic migrations; at such times vast numbers of these small animals spread down country, even swimming lakes and fjords. They are pursued by beasts and birds of prey, and even the reindeer kill them for the sake of the vegetable matter they contain. Hares are very common all over Norway up to the snow line. The beaver, formerly widespread, decreased seri ously, but strict protection has saved it, and it is fairly plentiful in the south Norway valleys.

Game birds are fairly abundant in most districts. Black grouse are widely distributed in the region of conifers and birches south of Finmark. Hazel grouse are found mainly in the spruce forests of the south-east and east, and fairly generally in the north, as are capercailzie, but the former is lacking in the west, and the latter is found near certain fjords only. Woodcock and snipe are moderately plentiful. The partridge, an immigrant from Sweden, occurs principally in the east and south-east. A severe winter causes a marked scarcity of them. A very large proportion of the Norwegian avifauna consists of migratory geese and ducks, vari ous birds of prey, golden plover, etc. These birds leave in autumn by three well-defined routes—one from Finmark into Finland, one by the Cristiania valley, and one by the west coast, where they congregate in large numbers on the lowlands immediately south of Stavanger; but certain high Arctic birds as the king-eider, Spitzbergen guillemot and the little auk move on to the north Norway coast from higher latitudes at the end of summer. The Arctic type of bunting, the snowy owl, and the rough-legged buzzard are exceedingly numerous. In some localities the puffin and kittiwake form great colonies (fugleberge, bird cliffs).