Simarubee.] THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS.  . 159 
the valleys; European as we ascend; and almost polar when we reach the summits of 
lofty mountains, which are only for a few months freed trom their covering of snow. 
Intermixed with the Indian and European-like Floras, we have many of the genera, 
and even ‘species, which were thought peculiar to China, as fully detailed in the account 
_of the Tea-plants, p. 119 to 123, and with these many also of the genera, p. 18, which 
were considered as existing only in North America. Of these, as well as of the others, 
we shall find the instances multiply as we proceed. It is less remarkable to find a great 
resemblance to the Rosaceous Flora of Caubul, for this is a kingdom included within 
the ramifications of the Hindookhoosh, which is but an extension, and not far removed 
from the loftiest part of the Himalayan range. The northern face of the Himalayas,—cut 
off by their lofty and snowy summits from the influence’of the tropical rains, enjoying a 
dry, cold, and rarified atmosphere, with a few months of powerful sun, and every where, 
adry and barren soil, as we learn from Messrs. Turner and Saunders, Mr. Moorcroft, and 
Messrs. Gerard and Herbert,—has a flora bearing the closest resemblance to that of the 
Altai mountains, and of the south of Siberia, v. p- 40, whether we regard the distribu- 
tion of families or genera, and even of some species. This should correctly be considered 
as belonging to the Tatarian rather than to the Himalayan region. Atp. 41, it was also 
mentioned that along with these Altai plants, many were found showing an analogy with 
the flora of the south of Europe ; and others, as Cuminum cyminum and Scutellaria orien- 
talis, with that of the Oriental region. This, if space allowed, might easily be more fully 
shewn; but it is unnecessary, as it will be adverted to on a future occasion, as well as in the 
observations on the distribution of the different families of plants. The fact is interesting 
at present, in connection with the observation made at p. 41, of the external resem- 
blance between the plants of Kunawur and those of the neighbourhood of Delhi, in 
consequence, it was presumed, of the great aridity of the soil and climate of both 
countries. Here also it is curious to observe, we have many of the plants of the Syrian 
region (v. p. 70) which is characterised by aridity and heat, as that of Tatary is by aridity 
and cold; but between their floras there is considerable resemblance, and that of India 
dove-tailing between them, may be said to be flanked on its north-western face by this, 
as it is on the south-eastern by the flora of the Syrian region. It will be as well, on 
the present occasion, to allude more fully to the latter fact, in connection with the 
occurrence of the Zygophyllee in this quarter of India. 
In comparing the flora of the northern part of India with that of Egypt, it may be 
useful to advert to the observations made by Mr. Brown respecting the accordance of 
the flora of the western coast of Africa with that of India in general, where he remarks 
that ‘‘ with the flora of India, that of Congo agrees not only in the proportions of many 
of its principal families, or in what may be termed the equinoctial relation, but also, 
‘to a certain degree, in the more extensive genera of which several of these families 
consist : and there are even about forty species common to these distant regions ;” that 
this accordance extends over a considerable surface, may be inferred from another 
observation Mr. Brown makes, which is, that from ‘* 16° N. to 6° S. there is remark- 
able 
