6 Vegetation oj Dalnuitla. 



coal, extends from the Promina, by Much and the Mosor, 

 towards the Biocovo. Loam is fomid on the Turkish frontier of 

 Imoschy, towards the Naventa : but the greater part of the lower 

 regions is filled with a heavy red-coloured iron ochre. The 

 only fertile soil of Dalmatia is near Dernis, Much, and Sign, 

 and consists of a decomposed brown coal formation. The line 

 of the mountains is from north to south ; that of the few rivers 

 of Dalmatia, the Zermagna, Kierka, Cettina, and Naventa, from 

 east to west; that is (as would be naturally supposed), towards 

 the sea. The principal mountain ridge separates itself, at the 

 Turkish boundaiy, from the Velebit ; which last stretches from 

 the coast towards the canal of Morlachen, and acquires a height 

 of from 4000 ft. to 5000 ft., forming an isolated mountain of 

 5668 ft. in the Dinara, from which the alps which run towards 

 Bosnia receive their name. This ridge passes along the left 

 bank of the Cettina to the Naventa, gradually losing its decli- 

 vity, and dispersing itself into several small branches. From 

 the Dinara, which is the highest point in Dalmatia, rises another 

 chain of mountains, which, after forming a peak of 3609 ft., 

 called the Promina, extends into the mountains of Swylaja, of 

 which the most elevated point is 4743 ft. high. Through the 

 valley near Much, this chain pursues a southerly course, and in- 

 creases visibly in altitude, until it reaches the mouth of the Cet- 

 tina, where it receives the appellation of the Mosor Mountains, 

 the highest peak of which is 4206 ft. The Cettina has evidently 

 forced itself a passage towards the sea ; for the next ridge, which 

 descends to the Naventa along the coast above Macareska, and is 

 called the Biocovo, certainly was once united to the Mosor. Its 

 highest summit is 5520 ft»; and it forms, with the Dinara, the 

 most elevated point of vegetation in Dalmatia. Besides these 

 mountain chains, the rest of the continent of Dalmatia consists 

 of promontories, among which are the Buccovitza, the summit 

 of which is 3102 ft ; the Tartar-Hligeln, the greatest elevation of 

 which is 1568 ft.; theKarban Mountains, of which thepoint Mount 

 Kosiah is 2456 ft. high ; and Sweti Jura, which lies behind Spa- 

 lato, and is 2135 ft. The Dalmatian continent is also composed 

 of large plains, most of them stony: the most considerable of these 

 extends from Novigrod, over Nona and Zara, to the Kerka. 



The second division of Dalmatia, that is to say, the islands, par- 

 takes more of a mountainous than of a level character: Brazza and 

 Solta are lower, Lissa and Curzola contain higher mountains. 



The lines of vegetation in Dalmatia are, therefore, to be drawn 

 in the following manner: — 1. From north to south ; and here the 

 limit is pointed out, between Trau and Sebenico, by a natural 

 demarcation : it separates the southern flora from that of the 

 north. The first contains plants which are also indigenous to 

 the Greek islands and Apulia ; the second approaches the j3ora 



