As already stated， high mountains also affect the climate of the country near them. The windward side of mountains is moist， since the moisture in the air is condensedin rising over them. On the lee side the country is dry， as the air which moves over it has already been deprived of its moisture.
The country on the lee side will also be subject to hot， drywinds like the chinook winds
of the eastern Rockies and the
POPOCATEPETL.
A snow-covered mountain in the tropics.
foehn in Switzerland. As the moist winds pass over the mountains their moisture is condensed. This raises their temperature so that it is above what it would normally be at the altitude reached. As they come down on the lee side of the mountain， the air is compressed and thus heated so that on this side it is considerably warmer at the same altitude than on the windward side. Thus high mountains affect not only the rainfall， but the temperature changes of the region round about.
205.Avalanches. -In mountain regions where the inclination ofthe surface is steep， the loose material is liable to slide down the moun- tain sides， especially when it becomes moist because of long rains， orof the thawing of the frozen ground. As the material slides， the quantity increas- es， and momentum or force of movement is gained until a vast mass sweeps with almost irresistible force down the side， wrenchingaway trees， bowlders and
LANDSLIDE.
Covering one of the main roads of Norway.
whatever lies in its path. On
reaching the valley the débris is piled in irregular mounds.
The scars of these avalanches are seen on the sides of almost all high mountains. In mountain regions which are inhabited， avalanches are frequently very destructive of life and property. In the Alps large forests are often maintained above villages to check the avalanches if possible and thus to protect the villages.
206.Mountain Animals and Plants. -As the temperature ofmountains varies greatly from bottom to top， so the animals and plantsmust vary. Near the foot of the mountain the plants will be similar to those of the surrounding coun- try， but these will soon disappear as the slope is ascended， since the temperature will have decreased， and their place will be filled by those capable of withstanding greater cold. If the mountains are sufficiently high， the tops will be bare or covered with ice and snow.
T h e a n i m a l s o f m o u n t a i n s vary somewhat as do the plants， but since animals have the powerLANDSLIDE AT AMALFI.
This destroyed a part of the famous monastery.
of movement， their distribution will not be so uniform. They mayascend the mountain during the summer and retreat down the slope when the weather becomes severe. Animals driven from the plains by other animals or by man often find a place of safety in mountain regions.
The buffalo of the western United States found their only place of safety， until protected by stringent laws， in the mountainous region of the Yellowstone. The last small herd of caribou made their final stand in central Maine on the heights of Mt. Katahdin； the deer which once roamed widely over New York State now are restrictedto the Adirondack Mountains. In these mountainous retreats pursuit is difficult， and they can persist for a long time after being exterminated elsewhere.
Some animals， such as the chamois of the Alps and the mountain goat of the Rockies， are particularly adapted toROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
mountain life and find a congenial habitat nowhere else.
207.Mountain Peoples. -Mountains offer a retreat to persecuted people as well as to animals. Here are often found the races which once inhabited the surrounding plains， but which have been driven from them by conquerors. The people of Wales and the Scotch highlanders are probably descendants from more ancient inhabitants of the island than those in control to-day. The Pyrenees， the Caucasus and the Hi- malaya Mountains each contain tribes which were driven from the lower plains， but have been able in these retreats to withstand invaders who were too powerful for them in their former homes.
Flocks and herds frequently make up the greatest wealth of mountain peoples. Indeed in these regions it is common to reckon a man"s wealth by the number of cows he can keep. In summer the cattle are driven to the higher slopes of the mountains， called alps in Switzerland and saeters in Norway. In winter they are brought down to the valleys， where the little villages are， and where every available foot of land has been utilized to produce hay for their feeding during the long winter months. Life is hard and meager， and industry， foresight and thrift are necessary.
As mountain valleys are separated from each other by ridges which for a considerable part of the year are almost impassable， the inhabitants are divided into groups whose world consists largely of the small valley in which they live. Their customs and manners of dress become in time somewhat different from those of the valleys about them. In Norway many of the different valleys have developed various unique and beautiful costumes. Only in recent years， since travel hasA MOUNTAIN SHEPHERD WITH HIS FLOCK.
become more common， have these been laid aside for the humdrum， characterless costumes of the rest of Europe and of the United States. In some of the Scotch Highlands the natives still cling to their ancient dress.
Old-fashioned customs still maintain their hold in mountainregions long after they have been discarded in the surrounding country where intercommunication is easier. In the southern Appalachian Mountains many of the customs of the early pioneers are still common. Homespun clothing is still manufactured， and hog and hominy are the principal diet.
A NEAR VIEW OF THE JUNGFRAU.
Such scenes as this produce the wealth of Switzerland.
