NORTH AMERICA 



NORTH AMERICA 



wholly within the torrid zone and has a typical 

 tropical climate. 



The Pacific coast, especially north of Mexico, 



has a heavy rainfall, but the winds blowing 



towards the east are unable to carry their 



moisture past the high mountains. For this 



reason the great plateau region is in places a 



it. The shores of the Gulf of Mexico have 



an abundant rainfall, and the Atlantic coast is 



\ as well watered. Details of rainfall can 



be found on the accompanying map. 



Vegetation. Considering the great extent of 



territory, the differences in the topographical 



ires and the variety of climate, it is natural 



to find in North America a varied vegetation. 



In the severe climate of the far North, the 



\SM Little or no rain 

 Light rains 



Moderately heauy rains 

 Heavy rains 



RAINFALL MAP 



vegetation consists of lichens and reindeer 

 mosses and those flowering plants which mature 

 during the few weeks of the Arctic summer. 

 The southern border of this region is marked 

 by willows and other shrubs, and a little south- 



1 are forests of cone-bearing trees spruce, 

 fir, hemlock and pine. Some of the most ex- 

 tensive forests and the largest individual speci- 



H of conifer trees in the whole world are 



i n the Pacific coast. 



In Tin- ra-t. rn highlands, forests of hard wood 

 and pine are found generally distributed as far 



th as the (lulf of Mexico. In the south, 

 these forests consist largely of yellow pine, 



ress and several kinds of magnolias. The 



great plains are generally treeless, except along 



1 >.mks of streams, but originally they were 



covered with a heavy growth of grass. An 



extensive growth of cactus is found in the 

 southwestern part of the United States. The 

 vegetation along the Gulf coast, in Mexico and 

 in Central America, has a decidedly tropical 

 character, with large forests of mangroves, 

 palms and giant bamboos. The rubber tree, 

 the silk-cotton tree, the logwood and the ma- 

 hogany tree grow in this region. Over the 

 larger part of North America most of the 

 cultivated plants and fruit trees start to grow 

 late. The great heat of the summer and the 

 relatively dry autumn promote rapid growth 

 and thorough ripening both of cereals and of 

 fruit. For more detailed descriptions see the 

 articles devoted to the separate countries. 



Animal Life. The fauna of North America 

 'is to a great extent identical with that of 

 Europe and the northern and central parts of 

 Asia. In the extreme north the most important 

 animals found are the walrus, the polar bear, 

 the caribou, or American reindeer, the fur seal, 

 the Arctic fox, the beaver, the otter, the mar- 

 ten and other fur-bearing animals. In the 

 southern belt of this region, extending as far 

 south as Northern Maine, are found the moose 

 and the deer. Large herds of bison formerly 

 roamed over the central plain, but these ani- 

 mals are now nearly extinct, and only a few 

 herds are found in national and private parks. 

 Among the animals which are characteristic of 

 North America are the puma, or American lion, 

 the grizzly bear, the gopher, or pouched rat, the 

 muskrat, the prairie dog, the Canadian porcu- 

 pine, the raccoon, the skunk, the musk ox, the 

 bighorn, or Rocky Mountain sheep, the prong- 

 horn, or Rocky Mountain goat, and the opos- 

 sum. 



Among the native birds of this continent are 

 the Baltimore oriole, the bobolink, the cow- 

 bird, the flycatchers, the wild turkey and the 

 many species of wood warblers. The reptiles 

 are not conspicuous, most of the snakes being 

 harmless. The only venomous species are the 

 rattlesnake, the copperhead and certain varie- 

 ties of water snake. The largest reptile on the 

 continent is the alligator, which is found in the 

 lagoons around the Gulf of Mexico. The 

 United States is richer than any other part of 

 the world in river inollusks, especially river 

 mussels. There arc thousands of species of 

 insects, including flics, moths, butterflies, bees 

 and beetles. Some of these arc noted for th. ir 

 gorgeous hues. The fauna of the low! m 

 Mexico, of Central America and of the West 

 Indies hrlnmzs to that of South Arnrrin. which 

 differs from that of the northern contiu 



