THE PINE. 37 



trees of the pine and fir kind in the tropics ; but it 

 is generally at a considerable elevation above the 

 level of the sea, or where the mountain-side provides 

 a habitat and temperature not unlike that of the 

 lowlands of the temperate zones. 



One of the most interesting facts in botanical 

 geography is the concordance between the vegetable 

 productions of the plains in given latitudes, whether 

 north of the equator or south of it, and those of the 

 mountain-sides in latitudes not far removed. To 

 ascend a mountain in the tropical and sub-tropical 

 zones, is like setting out from the foot of that 

 mountain and going due north in a direct line ; or 

 if the mountain in question be upon the Australian 

 side of the equator, then it is like starting from the 

 base and going in a direct line southwards. In a 

 less degree, this curious parallelism is observable 

 even in the mountains of Europe, which present 

 successively, as we ascend them, the plants of coun- 

 tries more and more northerly. It may be re- 

 marked in the mountains of our own island. Very 

 different is the vegetation of Borrowdale from that 

 of the tremendous summits which rise upon its 

 flanks. In the meadow by the river are the purple 

 columbine and the lotus ; as we ascend the slopes, 

 their place is taken by the parsley-fern ; and by- 

 and-by we enter the region of the club-mosses 

 and the alpine lady's-mantle, with leaves that are 

 plaited like a fan, and lined as it were with satin. 



