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76
I. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.
house-sparrow (Passer domesticus). The following reptiles are also
widely distributed in Sweden: the common viper (Vipera berus), the
common snake (Natrix natrix), the scaly or common lizard (Lacerta
vivi-para), the blind worm (Anguis fragilis). Also the following batrachians:
the common frog (Rana temporaria), and the common toad (Bufo bufo).
If we now proceed to the various fauna regions which can be
distinguished in Sweden, it will be most convenient to begin with the alpine
regions situated above the tree-limit. There, amongst the
mammalia, we meet, besides the hare, the field-vole and the weasels, some
northern voles (especially Evotomys rufocanus), the lemming (Lemmus
lemmus) well known for its peculiar migrations, the arctic fox (Vulpes
lagopus), and the glutton or wolverene (Gulo gulo). We ought also to
include amongst the fauna of the mountainous districts the wild reindeer
(Rangifer tarandus), although nowadays not met with on the
Swedish side of the mountain slopes. The common bear (Ursus arctos)
and the common wolf (Canis lupus), which properly belong to the
deep forests, often occur on the mountains. Amongst the more
characteristic birds belonging to this fauna, the following deserve to be specially
mentioned: the white grouse or ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus), the wild or
whistling swan (Cygnus cygnus), the white-fronted goose (Anser
erythro-pus), the long-tailed skua (Stercorarius longicauda), and the red-throated
diver (Colymbus stellatus [septentrionalis~\), which, together with a number
of ducks and pochards, breed in the mountain waters, the dotterel
(Eudro-mias morinellus) and several other wading birds, the rough-legged buzzard
(Archibuteo lagopus), the white or snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca), the
shore-lark (Eremophila alpestris flava), the snow-bunting (Passerina
nivalis), the Lappland bunting (Calcarius lapponicus). Others, such as the
willow-grouse (Lagopus lagopus), the golden eagle (Aquila chrysaëtus), the
gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus [gyrfalco]), the European merlin (Falco
aesalon), and the ring-ouzel (Turdus torquatus), have their proper habitat
in the birch-belt and in the northern coniferous forests; but they may also
occur in considerable numbers above the tree-limit, though they scarely
breed there.
Only a few birds can be said to be characteristic of the birch region
which borders the fjäll region: such are, the brambling (Fringilla
monti-fringilla), the mealy or stone-redpoll (Acanthis linaria), the blue-throat
(Luscinia suecica), the redwing (Turdus iliacus), and the red-necked
Phala-rope (Phalaropus lobatus): all these, however, occur also in the upper
coniferous region.
The region of the great coniferous forests commences on the slopes
of the mountains, below the region of the birch, extending from thence,
with insignificant interruptions, over by far the greatest part of Sweden;
eastwards to the coast-islets of the Gulf of Bothnia, southwards through
Norrland over a large portion of Svealand, and continuing, interrupted
by the great plains of Östergötland and Västergötland, over the
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