THE COLDER TEMPERATE ZONE. 169 



bage, turnip, sea-kale, candy-tuft, radish, etc. ; 

 the umbelliferous tribe, as carrots, carra- 

 ways, parsley, parsnip, celery, hemlock, etc. ; 

 the CaryopJiillece, a class including the pink, 

 carnation, lychnis, catchfly, chickweed, etc. ; 

 the Campanulas, and a division of the composite 

 plants, including endive, hawkweed, dandelion, 

 sowthistle, and a great variety of plants of 

 a similar structure. The extensive heaths 

 already alluded to, covered with our common 

 heath or ling, (Calluna vulgaris^) form a 

 remarkable feature in the European part of 

 this region. In that part of Asia which lies 

 in the colder temperate zone, vast plains cha- 

 racterize it, called steppes ; these are generally 

 barren tracts, often strongly impregnated with 

 salt, and abounding in salt lakes and pools, 

 with a stunted and scattered vegetation. Here 

 and there are more fertile spots, where trees 

 and food plants grow, but they are like the 

 cases of the desert. Species of saltwort, (Salsola,) 

 tamarisk, sea lavender, (Statice^ liquorice, 

 vetches, and wormwood, are among the pre- 

 vailing steppe plants. 



In that portion of the southern hemisphere 

 belonging to this zone, the southern part of 

 Patagonia, the Falkland Isles, Terra del Fuego, 

 Kerguelen's Land, and Prince Edward's Island, 

 with a few other very small detached islands, 

 are all the land. On these vegetation rapidly 

 diminishes as they approximate to the antarctic 

 circle ; and it is a well-ascertained fact, that 

 the temperature decreases much more rapidly 

 15 



