in the same latitude as the south of France, and in a warmer one than the most favoured districts of Hungary; to the latter of which, especially, they present a remarkable contrast, affording a striking illustration of the effect produced on climate, by local variations of the surface. The flat plains of Wallachia and Moldavia have only a trifling elevation above the sea-level, and therefore experience great summer heat; but, being unprotected by any mountain range, or elevated land, from the chilling northern blasts which sweep across the low territories of Russia, their winters are thus severe. Hungary, on the contrary, as has been already observed, slopes gently towards the south, and is protected on the north and east by the Carpathian mountains.

The vegetation of Greece and Turkey, including the Grecian Archipelago, presents some features of more than usual interest. Diversified as is the surface of these territories, we shall be prepared to expect a varied vegetation; but this is by no means all; we here meet with instances of the marked natural division in the floras of certain regions. In the countries over which we have passed, our attention has already been called to the influence of latitude, elevation above the sea, and other causes, on the natural limits of plants. It also appears, that certain plants have easterly or westerly geographical limits, both as to their distribution, and the nature of their produce; subordinate, however, to the isothermal lines, by which the zones of vegetation are mostly determined. These limits, which perhaps may not inappropriately be termed meridianal limits, or longitudinal limits, are, in some cases, clearly dependent on the natural geography of the regions in which they may be traced; in others, however, the cause of their occurrence is less evident. More than one instance of these meridianal limits will be afforded by the region now under our consideration.

Greece forms the most westerly limits of various plants, well known in our groves and gardens as cultivated species, but which have never been found growing wild to the

westward of the Adriatic, though they are indigenous in Greece, as also in Asia Minor, and other eastern regions. Among these, are the horse chesnut, weeping willow, almond*, common or cherry laurel, pomegranate, &c., &c. In this case the meridianal limit has evidently been depenpent on the natural geography of these regions; these plants having been checked in their westward progress by the expanse of sea, including the Mediterranean and the Adriatic, which latter extends into too high a latitude to admit of their passing its northern shores.

Less evident, however, is the cause of another meridianal limit, which also occurs in this region. In the Grecian Archipelago we first meet with

Groves whose rich trees weep odorous grims and balm.

It is not, however, that the same species do not occur in more westerly regions, but that they are not "rich" in these "odorous gums" in those parts. Thus, we have already met with the pistacia lentiscus and pistacia terebinthus, in Spain and Italy: these trees, however, in those regions produce no supply of gum resin; but in the Grecian islands, and more especially in Scio, this substance exudes from them in great abundance. From the former, (pistacia lentiscus,) flows gum mastich, this being generally obtained by 'making incisions in the bark; whilst, from the pistacia terebinthus, or terebinth tree, gum terebinth flows naturally in a more liquid state. It is not easy, however, to assign a cause for this limit of the produce of these fragrant gums; the island of Scio is not in a more southerly latitude than the other countries in which we have met with these trees: and it would almost appear that these islands, bordering as they do upon Asia, partook of the luxuriance of its vegetation, and formed the western limit of the rich products of Eastern climes. The gums we have mentioned are by no means the only species which occur; gum tragacanth is the product of several plants of the astragalus kind, and gum

* This limit of the almond does not, however, apply to Africa, that tree having been found growing wild in Barbary.

ladanum of the gum cistus, and other species of cistus; and both these are particularly abundant in Crete. All these odoriferous gums are much used by the Turks for incense or perfumes; and it is a universal practice throughout the Ottoman empire for the women to chew gum mastich. These odoriferous trees are indeed so common in some of the Grecian islands, that they form the ordinary fuel of the inhabitants, nothing being used for that purpose, except the mastich tree, cedar, cistus, lavender, and other fragrant woods: so that "not only is the air scented with the balsamic odour of the numerous aromatic plants, but the very smoke is perfumed with the fragrance of the wood of which their fires are made."

These islands again, and the neighbouring shores of Asia Minor, are remarkable as being the original habitation and western limit of some of our well-known, but muchesteemed, garden flowers; the tuberose, hyacinth, tulip, narcissus, ranunculus, anemone, &c., all being natives of this region. The ranunculus more especially abounds in Crete; the anemone in nearly all the islands of the Archipelago, which, in the spring, appear like a rich carpet, being studded with anemones of all colours. These flowers, in their natural state, are usually single, and may in some instances have been improved by cultivation; but their hues are not less brilliant than with us.

The vegetation of the mainland of Greece and Turkey presents, in the lowlands of its more southern districts, most of the plants we have observed in similar situations in Spain and Italy. Date trees are, however, rare; the only trees of this description known to exist in continental Greece being a few in the vicinity of Athens: though this is not attributable to the climate, for the prickly fig, which is equally tender, grows abundantly, forming strong defensive hedges. The orange and lemon are produced abundantly in the Peloponnesus, growing on the eastern coast, in Boeotia and Thessaly, nearly as far north as the range of Mount Olympus, not, however, coming to full perfection in

the lovely Vale of Tempe, situated to the south of that mountain. But in the western districts, sheltered as these are from the north-east by the Albanian mountains, the range of these plants extends to the Gulf of Quarnaro; whilst the olive, fig, myrtle, mulberry, manna ash, stone pine (fig. 145), pinaster, terebinth tree, and their usual accompaniments, skirt the shores as far as the extremity of the Adriatic. It is only, however, near the coast, that these plants of warmer zones are met with; at a short distance inland they altogether cease, and are succeeded by the chesnut, ash, lime, horse chesnut, mountain ash, service tree, wild apple and pear trees, oak, &c. The latter, crowned with the true ancient miseltoe, still flourishes in the highlands of Arcadia, where, under the Greek mythology, every oak had its dryad. The mountainous regions are covered with forests of beech, pine, Scotch fir, &c.

The native animals of Greece and Turkey are little known. The most remarkable are, perhaps, the Cretan sheep and the musmon sheep, both of which appear to be natives of the island of Crete. The Cretan sheep is noted for the singularity of its horns, which, first turning outwards, form a complete circle, then, taking a vertical direction, ascend in a spiral form. The wild musmon sheep, which is said to be still found in the mountains of Crete, is supposed to be identical in species with the numerous races of sheep now spread over Europe. The Albanian dog has been celebrated from remote antiquity, and is a very beautiful animal, with long silky hair. The Turkish greyhound, on the other hand, though well formed, is an ugly little animal, the skin being almost destitute of hair.

Among the known birds, the most interesting are the pink coloured flamingo, the pelican, and the stork; which latter is said to build unmolested in the ruins of the ancient temples.

› The silk-worm was introduced into Greece by Justinian, in the sixth century; and shortly afterwards the mora, or mulberry tree, became so abundant in the Peloponnesus, that the name of the latter was changed to the Morea.

LOWER GERMANY. POLAND.-RUSSIA.NORTHERN HIGHILAND OF EUROPE.-SCANDINAVIA.

Sweep by Holland like the blast:

One quick glance at Denmark cast,

Sweden, Russia;- -all is past.-MONTGOMERY.

HAVING now traced our grand central line, and its subor#dinate branches, across the whole of Europe, it will be desirable, ere we follow the course of this mighty mountain range through Asia, to take a glance at some important portions of Europe, which we have still left unexplored, namely, the Great Lowland, and the Northern Highland.

The Great Lowland, as has been already remarked, includes the Netherlands, Denmark, the northern districts of France and Germany, nearly the whole of Poland, and the greater part of Russia.

We have already taken some notice of that part of France which is included in the Great Lowland: Belgium and Holland form a continuation of this extensive plain. Spurs, For minor branches, from the Rhenish mountains, extend into the south-eastern districts of Belgium, giving a hilly chaTracter to that portion of the kingdom; but it is in general flat and undiversified: though not in so remarkable a degree as the kingdom of Holland, which is the lowest portion of the Great Lowland, and in many parts nearly on a level with the ocean. Owing to the trifling elevation of this country above the sea, it was exposed to the risk of inundation at every high tide; but the mighty work of constructing barriers and dykes has been effected, and the land rescued from the overwhelming waters. In olden time, too, large proportion of this region consisted of harsh barren sands, producing nothing but heath and fir. The whole

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