166 Analysis of Scientific Books and Memoirs. 



the greatest part of Siberia, and of the country about Caucasus. Its east- 

 ern boundaries I dare not fix. Gmelin, indeed in his Flora * says, that 

 the vegetation is essentially changed at the river Jenisey ; but, as this Flo- 

 ra contains so great a number of European species, and has only 15 genera 

 which are wanting in Europe, so this expression can hardly be understood 

 literally, and Siberia, or at least the greater part of it, may thus belong to 

 the same region as the north of Europe. The country about Caucasus and 

 Krim, falls only partly within this region, for, according to Bibtrsiein's Flo- 

 ra the southern parts of those districts have a greater resemblance to the 

 south of Europe. 



It .might be doubted whether that part of the globe, included within 

 these limits, forms a particular region, or only a province of the next re- 

 gion, which includes all the countries which surround the Mediterranean 

 Sea ; for, although, indeed, this latter region has a great many species, 

 genera, and even families, which are entirely wanting in the north of Eu- 

 rope and Asia, so, on the other hand, this part of the earth stands in so low 

 a rank, in regard to plants peculiar to it, that not only above half of its 

 species are also found in the south of Europe, but very few peculiar ge- 

 nera appear, and not one peculiar family. But as, on the other hand, this 

 resemblance is not complete, and however some families are rather more 

 numerous here than in the countries on the Mediterranean, so it may 

 perhaps be answered, that it may be considered as a particular region, 

 though its great want of peculiar forms ought to be attended to. I have 

 called this the region of the Cruciferre and the Umbellatae, because these 

 two families in this region, form a larger quotient of the total number 

 than in any other ; and because in this way it may particularly be separ- 

 ated from the vegetation of North America on the same parallel. From 

 the next region it is moreover distinguished by Fungi being more com- 

 mon, by Rosacece, Ranunculacece, Amentacece, and Coniferce forming a ra- 

 ther larger quotient ; that it approaches nearer to the polar forms, especial- 

 ly in the abundance of Cariccw ; that the meadows are more nourishing ; 

 that almost all the trees are deciduous in winter; and lastly, by a number 

 of negative characters, namely, the absence of tropical forms, which have 

 representatives in the next region, and fewer species of the families which 

 belong to the characteristics of the latter. From the Polar region it is dis- 

 tinguished partly by the want of most of the Polar forms before mention- 

 ed, and partly, also, by its greater agreement with the following region. 



This region may easily be divided into two provinces ; (a) Provincia 

 Ciclioriacearum, province of northern Europe. This sub-group of the 

 Composilce. appears to be rather more numerous in Europe than in 

 Asia, where on the contrary, the Cynarocephalw are more common ; the 

 other distinguishing marks, are merely formed of some few peculiar ge- 

 nera. The countries belonging to this province, Great Britain, the north 

 of France, Holland, Germany, Denmark, the Scandinavian Peninsula, as 

 fir as it does not belong to the preceding region, Poland, Hungary, the great- 



* Fhra Sihrka, T. 1. Praef. p. xliii. 



