ANALOGY BETWEEN PALESTINE AND CALIFORNIA. 11 



dolomite belonging to the Cenomanian and Tnronian ages and soft 

 limestones and beds of Hint being generally attributed to the Seno- 

 nian age. Finally, my own discoveries have shown that the lower 

 Eocene of the Tertiary age, which was unrecognized for a long time, 

 covers a vast area here. This formation is abundant in the south, 

 where erosion has reduced it to thin layers, and in the north, where 

 it is characterized by nummulitic limestone. Finally, there are the 

 Pliocene and the Pleistocene, the alluvial, diluvial (see PI. I, fig. 1), 

 and volcanic deposits, which in the form of basalt and basaltite are 

 found over vast stretches of territory in Samaria and lower and 

 upper Galilee, and especially in the Trans- Jordan. The Trans- 

 Jordan is very similar to the vast volcanic region of California and 

 Oregon, and to that of Idaho in the neighborhood of Pocatello and 

 in other localities in that State. 



Because of its diversified geologic formations the country presents 

 a great variety of soils, but fortunately the calcareous element, pre- 

 dominates, for it is this element which is of the greatest importance 

 in the soils of arid and semiarid regions, being second in importance 

 to water only, which is indispensable for maintaining animal and 

 vegetable life. 



As is to be expected from this great variety of soil and climate, the 

 vegetation of Palestine is remarkably rich in species and presents 

 types of both desert and alpine floras. 



VEGETATION OF PALESTINE. 



Curiously enough, the list of the flora of the small territory of 

 Palestine includes approximately the same number of species as that 

 of California — about 3,000. This is nearly twice as many as are 

 known in Algeria, which has the same variations of soil and climate 

 as Palestine but is about fifteen times as large. 



There are many other points of similarity between the vegetation 

 of California and that of Palestine. In both sections evergreen 

 shrubs predominate. The same forms of vegetation, often the same 

 genera, are found on Mount Tamalpais. California, and on Mount 

 Carmel, Palestine; the maqui formation of Palestine is to be com- 

 pared to the chaparral and chamiso of California, and the forms of 

 vegetation of the Lebanon and the Hermon mountains are much the 

 same as those of the western slope of the Sierras. 



On account of the predominance of the calcareous element in the 

 Palestine soils already mentioned, the lime-loving leguminous plants 

 are well represented. The genera Medicago, Melilotus, Trigonella, 

 Astragalus, Trifolium, etc., are rich in species which aid in main- 

 taining fertility by means of their nitrogen-fixing character. These 

 furnish good temporary pastures in winter and spring, and during 



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