CHAP. XII.] IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH. 



317 



archipelago, is one of the most astonishing facts ever recorded in 

 the distribution of plants. 



On the Himalaya, and on the isolated mountain-ranges of the 

 peninsula of India, on the heights of Ceylon, and on the volcanic 

 cones of Java, many plants occur, either identically the same or 

 representing each other, and at the same time representing plants 

 of Europe, not found in the intervening hot lowlands. A list of 

 the genera of plants collected on the loftier peaks of Java, raises 

 a picture of a collection made on a hillock in Europe ! Still more 

 striking is the fact that peculiar Australian forms are represented 

 by certain plants growing on the summits of the mountains of 

 Borneo. Some of these Australian forms, as I hear from Dr. 

 Hooker, extend along the heights of the peninsula of Malacca, 

 and are thinly scattered on the one hand over India, and on the 

 other hand as far north as Japan. 



On the southern mountains of Australia, Dr. F. Muller has 

 discovered several European species ; other species, not introduced 

 by man, occur on the lowlands ; and a long list can be given, as I 

 am informed by Dr. Hooker, of European genera, found in 

 Australia, but not in the intermediate torrid regions. In the 

 admirable ' Introduction to the Flora of New Zealand,' by Dr. 

 Hooker, analogous and striking facts are given in regard to the 

 plants of that large island. Hence we see that certain plants 

 growing on the more lofty mountains of the tropics in all parts 

 of the world, and on the temperate plains of the north and south, 

 are either the same species or varieties of the same species. It 

 should, however, be observed that these plants are not strictly 

 arctic forms; for, as Mr. H. C. Watson has remarked, "in re- 

 ceding from polar towards equatorial latitudes, the Alpine or 

 mountain floras really become less and less Arctic." Besides 

 these identical and closely allied forms, many species inhabiting 

 the same widely sundered areas, belong to genera not now found 

 in the intermediate tropical lowlands. 



These brief remarks apply to plants alone; but some few 

 analogous facts could be given in regard to terrestrial animals. 

 In marine productions, similar cases likewise occur; as an 

 example, I may quote a statement by the highest authority, 

 Prof. Dana, that " it is certainly a wonderful fact that New 

 Zealand should have a closer resemblance in its Crustacea to 

 Great Britain, its antipode, than to any other part of the world." 

 Sir J. Iiichardson, also, speaks of the reappearance on the shores 

 of New Zealand, Tasmania, ttc., of northern forms of fish. Dr. 

 Hooker informs me that twenty-five species of Algae are common 

 to New Zealand and to Europe, but have not been found in the 

 intermediate tropical seas. 



From the foregoing facts, namely, the presence of temperate 



