CEYLOX. 



33 



productions of different parts of the surface of the globe came 

 to be investigated with the attention and accuracy wliicli are 

 peculiar to the present age, naturalists rested satisfied with the 

 vague idea that all animals and vegetables had originally radiated 

 from a common centre, and that in the same parallels of latitude 

 the same species would be found. This we now know not to be 

 the case, and it can be as safely asserted that every large tract of 

 country has had its own peculiar creation of both plants and 

 animals, as that two and two make four, the exceptions to this 

 general rule being accounted for by disseminating causes now in 

 operation. In no other way can we account for Europe having 

 a totally different class of plants from that part of North 

 America which lies immediately opposite to it ; or for the botany 

 of Southern Africa having little or no resemblance to that of the 

 same parallels in South America, or to that of Australia ; or for 

 many small islands, such as tliat of St. Helena, possessing a 

 vegetation totally different even from that of the nearest con- 

 tinent. Islands, however, in general, approach nearest in the 

 nature of their productions to that of the countries to which 

 they most nearly range in a geographical point of view, and this 

 we shall find to be the case with Ceylon. 



Both the climate and the soil of the maritime parts of the 

 western side of Ceylon being very similar to that of the Malabar 

 coast, we find that a large proportion of the plants of both places 

 are identical ; and the same holds good with reference to the 

 northern and north-east coasts of Ceylon and that of the opposite 

 Coromandel coast, although each district in both countries is 

 found to possess species which are peculiar to each. A vegeta- 

 tion more or less similar to that of the coast, extends inland to 

 the foot of the great mountain cliain ; but from thence upwards 

 a very great change is found to take place in it, and almost 

 every 1000 feet of elevation shows a vegetation which, though 

 merging into those immediately above and beneath it, offers 

 species which do not range beyond it. It is at an elevation of 

 from 2000 to 8000 feet that the greater part of the species of 

 plants peculiar to Ceylon are to be found ; but most of tliese 

 belong to forms, that is to natural orders or genera, wliich form 

 part of the vegetation of neighbouring countries, such as the 

 Neelgherry mountains in the peninsula of India, the Himalaya 

 mountains, the high lands of Malacca, and of the Eastern islands, 

 but more particularly Java, and I have lately met with a few 

 species which indicate an affinity with the continent of Africa. 



I shall now offer a few remarks on the nature of the vegetation 

 which characterises the different botanical regions of the island. 

 The truly littoral plants of all countries offer a greater number 

 of identical species in widely separate localities of the same 



VOL. IV, D 



