There are two facts which are closely connected with the present I condition of the Alps—(1) that the rainfall on the Alpine slopes on the Italian side of the watershed, as a rule, is heavier than that on the other side, and (2) that the valleys also are steeper. It is indeed true that the distance from the watershed of the Central Pennines to the lakes on either side, north or south, is not very different, but the level of those on the latter is some 700 feet below that of those on the northern. This difference of level is especially marked in the upper part of the valleys, places correspondingly situated being always lower on the southern than on the northern face; for instance, Zermatt is rather above Macugnaga, but as the crow flies it is more than double the distance from the watershed.