IV. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE. 



On page 14 it was intimated that section IV would be 

 devoted to ' General Remarks ;' it being then intended to 

 combine a very brief account of the physical geography 

 and climate along with some general remarks on the flora 

 and botanical geography of Britain. But in attempting 

 to combine the general remarks on both subjects, it was 

 found that such a course would lead more to confusion 

 than to elucidation ; and that a preliminary and separate 

 notice of geographical and climatal peculiarities would be 

 preferable, because less complex. The intended single 

 section thus becomes converted into two*; this present 

 division of it being restricted to a general view of the 

 phj-^sical geograj)hy and climate, somewhat more ampli- 

 fied than was at first contemplated. The second division, 

 to be devoted to some general remarks on the botanical 

 geography of the island, its floral peculiarities and cha- 

 racteristics, is more conveniently postponed to the end of 

 the volume ; where statistical figures can be rendered 

 more true and correct, by being printed after the lists 

 which are designed to show the distribution of species 

 under various special aspects. 



1. Geographical position. — Britain is a portion of 

 Europe by its geogra^jhical position. At epochs long 



