DISTRIBUTION OF THE HEATHER. 



"The range of the heath tribe is eminently Atlan- 

 tic, or western. It is found along a line drawn from 

 the north of Norway along the west coast of Europe 

 and Africa, down to the Cape of Good Hope, in the 

 vicinity of which the family culminates in point of 

 luxuriance and growth, beauty of flowers and foli- 

 age, and variety of species, some even attaining the 

 arborescent form. Along this line, which is compara- 

 tively narrow, seldom running far from the coast, 

 about four hundred distinct kinds, excluding varie- 

 ties, are scattered, of which England and Scotland pos- 

 sess only four and Ireland no less than six. 



"On the barren moors of Cornwall a very interest- 

 ing kind of Heather called the Cornish heath (Erica 

 vagans) grows abundantly, distinguished by the 

 crowded bell-shaped flowers. On the north coast of 

 the same county another species occurs, called Erica 

 ciliaris, with very large and gaily-colored flowers, and 

 leaves elegantly fringed with hairs. It is frequent 

 near Truro and Penrhyn, and in one or two places 

 near Dorset. These two Cornish heaths are also found 

 in Ireland ; the one on a little island off the coast 

 of Waterford, and the other near Clifton, in Galway. 

 In the Emerald Isle, Mackay's Heather, which has 

 large glabrous foliage, with an unusual proportion 

 of white under-surface, grows in one or two spots 

 in Connemara. It was discovered the same year on 

 the Sierra del Peral in Spain. In mountain bogs in 

 the west of Mayo and Galway the Mediterranean 

 Heather is sparingly distributed, sometimes obtaining 

 a height of five feet, with numerous upright rigid 

 branches, and flowers in leafy racemes. The Scot- 

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