Colombia between the Years 1830 and 1830. 15 



hoofs, accustomed only to soft pastures, are hardened on a stony 

 soil. 



The breed of sheep, like that of llamas, is limited to the loftier 

 regions of the Cordillera ; while goats multiply more readily on 

 such parts of the low country as are both hot and barren, as in 

 the province of Coro, where they form the chief wealth of the in- 

 habitants. 



But while nature facilita:tes the dispersion over the globe of 

 certain species of animals, she seems to limit others by an impas- 

 sible barrier. The dog undergoes the fate of his European mas- 

 ter; his sagacity and strength decay in a hot climate, and the 

 breed dwindles rapidly into an animal totally inferior in habits 

 and organization. The foresters accordingly, and the Indians of 

 the lowlands, who are accustomed to the chase of the wild hog, 

 bring dogs for the purpose from the mountains, where, though 

 the Spaniards are by no means curious in this particular, a strong 

 species of greyhound, more or less degenerated, is to be met with, 

 and is used in the highlands for stag-hunting. 



The influence of temperature, and consequently of local eleva- 

 tion, on vegetable life, was first examined in Colombia by a na- 

 tive of Bogota, the itnfortunate and illustrious D. Jose Caldas, 

 who fell a victim to the barbarity of Murillo in 1811, in conse- 

 quence of which his numerous researches in natural history were 

 almost entirely lost, with the exception of some papers published 

 in the Seminario de Bogota in 1808, and fragments still existing 

 in MS. or casually preserved and printed in Europe, to one of 

 which I shall presently have occasion to refer. Humboldt trav- 

 elled through South America about the same time that Caldas was 

 directing the attention of his countrymen to physical science, and 

 his investigations have fortunately been subjected to a less rigor- 

 ous destiny. His admirable treatise, " De disti^ibutione Planta- 

 rmn geographica,^^ has left for future observers little but to 

 corroborate the accuracy of his viev/s and multiply facts in illus- 

 tration of his theories. 



When we begin our observations from the level of the sea, 

 we find certain families of plants which scarcely ever rise to 

 above 300 or 400 feet : the ">S'awc/a/o," producing the balsam of 

 Tolu, the Lecythis, the Coccoloba, the Bombax, the Rhizopliora 

 Mangle, the Manchineel. A second and more numerous class 

 push on to about 3,000 feet of elevation ; such are the Plinia, 



