IV PREFACE. 



2. The Hudson Valley Region. This includes all that portion of the State which is 

 watered by the Hudson and its tributaries, as far north as Washington and Saratoga coun- 

 ties too-ether with the valley of the Mohawk east of the Little Falls ; and also Staten 

 Island. Its vegetation, taken as a whole, is similar to that of Connecticut, the western 

 part of Massachusetts, the northern part of New-Jersey, and Pennsylvania east of the Blue 

 Ridge. It is difficult to indicate its characteristic plants ; but very few of tlie following are 

 found in any of the other regions : Ranunculus pusillus, Brasenia peltata, JYasturtium his- 

 pidum, Silene Pennsylvanica, Lespedeza capitata, Crotalaria sagittalis, Primus Americana, 

 Acer dasycarpum, Ludwigia sp/uerocarpa, Echinocystis lohata, Crantzia lineata, Vernonia 

 JVoveboracensis, Mulgedium acuminatum, Clethra alnifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, Hottonia 

 inflata, Quercus olivcpformis ^ macrocarpa, Betula rubra, Scirpus plamfolius, and Athero- 

 pogon apludttides. 



In the southern part of this region (particularly the island of New-York and Staten 

 Island) there occur a few species (such as Besmodium viridijlorum and Stylosanthes elatior') , 

 that arc found in no other part of the State except Long Island. The mountainous districts 

 present a vegetation more resembling that of the northern counties. Thus, the Myrica 

 Gale and Arenaria Grcenlandica occur on the higher summits of the Shawangunk Moim- 

 tains ; Potentilla tridentata and Pyrus Aucuparia, on the peaks of the Fishkill Range ; 

 while on the Catskill mountains (some of which attain an altitude of between 3000 and 

 4000 feet) are found Goodyera repens, Oxalis Acetosella, Solidago thyrsoidea, Abies balsamea 

 fy alba, and Betula papyracea. 



3. The Western Region is bounded on the south by the State of Pennsylvania, on the 

 west by Lakes Erie and Ontario, on the north by an irregular hne extending along the 

 southern borders of Jefierson and Lewis counties to the Little Falls ; so that it includes 

 Oswego, the greater portion of Oneida, and the soutliern part of Herkimer counties. 

 Eastwardly it blends with the Hudson River Region. Its vegetation greatly resembles 

 that of the middle portions of the country east of the Mississippi, lying between the Great 

 Lakes and the Oiiio River. Some of the peculiar species arc the following- : Jeffersonia 

 diphylla, Hydrastus Canadensis, Arabis dentata, Solea concolor, Ptelea trifoliata, Trifolium 

 rejkxum, Phaca neglecta, Gymnocladus Canadensis, Gillenia trifoliata Sf stipulacea, Erigenia 

 bnlhosn, Fedia Fiigopyrum', Solidago Ohioensis, Collinsia verna, Zigadenus glaucus and 

 Cyperus Schweinitzii. 



A few Canadian plants find tlieir way from a considerable distance north, into this 

 region, without being known to occur in the intervening country ; such as Viola Selkirkii, 

 Valeriana sylvntica, Pinguicula vulgaris, and Primula Mistassinica. 



4. The Northern Region includes all that part of the State which lies north of the 

 Mohawk Valley and the Hoosick River. It is bounded on the west by the River St. Law- 

 rence and the nortjieastiun extremity of Lake Ontario, and on the east by Lake Cham- 

 plain and tiic State of Vernu)nt. Much of the central part of this region is still a wilder- 

 ness. Towards the east and south the land is elevated witli liigli mountains, among whicli 

 an; numerous small lakes. Here are the sources of the Hudson, the Au Sable, the Saranac, 



