IV PREFACE. 



2. The Hudson Valley Region. Tliis includes all ilial portion of the State which is 

 watered by the Hudson and its triliutaries, as far north as Wa^hin^ion and Saratoga coun- 

 ties, together 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 the following are 

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

 pidum, SUene Pennsylvanica, Lespedeza capitafa, Crotalaria. sagittalis, Prunus Americana, 

 Jicer dasycarpum, Ludwigia spharocarpa , Ec/iinocystis lobata, Crantzia lineata, Vcrnonia 

 JVoveboracensis, Mulgedium acuminatum, Clcthra alnifolia, Kalmia angustifoUa, Hottonia 

 inflata, Quercus oUvceformis if macrocarpa, Bctula rubra, Scirpus planifolius, and jithero- 

 pogon apludoides. 



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

 Island) there occur a few species (such as Desrnodium viridiflorum and Stylosanthts elatior) , 

 that are 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 Jlrenaria Grcenlandica occur on the higher summits of the Sliawangunk Moun- 

 tains ; Pofentilla 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, Abus 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 line extending along the 

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

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

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

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

 Lakes and the Ohio River. Some of the peculiar species are the following : Jeffersonia 

 diphylla, Hydrasfus Canadensis, Arabis dentata, Solea concolor, Pteka trifoliata, Trifolium 

 refkxum, Phaca neglecta, Gymtwcladus Canadensis, Gillenia trifoliata &>• stipulacea, Erigenia 

 bulbosa, Fcdia Fagopyrum, Solidago Ohioensis, Collinsia verna, Zigadenus glaucus and 

 Cyperus Schweinitzii. 



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

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

 Valeriana sylvatica, Pinguicula vulgaris, and Primula Mistassi7iica. 



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

 plain and the State of Vermont. Much of the central part of this region is still a wilder- 

 ness. Towards the east and south the land is elevated with high mountains, among which 

 are numerous small lakes. Hero are the sources of tlie Hudson, the Au Sable, the Saranac, 



