70 Tableau of High Asia, [No. 1, 
The cultivation of grain coincides, in most cases, with the highest 
permanently inhabited villages: but the extremes of cultivated grain 
remain below the limit of permanent habitation. In the Himdlaya, 
cultivation of grain does not exceed 11,800 ft., in Zvbet 14,700 ft., 
and in the Kiinliin 9,700 ft. For the Andes, the limit is 11,800 it. ; 
in the Alps, some of the extremes are found near Tindelen, at a height 
of 6,630 ft., but the mean is about 5,000 ft. 
The upper mean limit of grass-vegetation is, in the Himdlaya, at 
15,400 ft., in Western Tibet at 16,500 ft. ; 
found above 14,800 ft. 
Shrubs grow, in the Himdlaya, up to 15,200 ft., in Western Tibet, as 
high as 17,000 ft. On the plateaux to the north of the Karakorim, 
shrubs are found at 16,900 ft., and, which is more remarkable, they 
in the Kinliin, grass is not 
occasionally grow there in considerable quantities on spots entirely 
destitute of grass. As an example, I mention the Vohab Chilgane 
plateau (16,419 ft.) and Bashmalgin (14,207 ft.) 
In the Kiinlién, the upper limit of shrubs does not exceed 12,700 
ft. ; above this height grass is still plentiful; and shrubs being here, 
as generally everywhere else, confined to a limit below the vegetation 
of grass, the range presents an essential contrast in this respect to the 
characteristic aspect of the Karakorim. 
In the Andes, shrubs grow up to 13,420 ft, in the Alps, their upper 
limit is at 8,000 it. 
The very extreme limit of phanerogamic plants appeared in T%bet 
at the north-eastern slopes of the Ibi Gamin pass, at a height of 
19,809 ft.; next in order came those of the Gunshankar peak, in 
Gnari Khérsum, at 19,237 ft. Inthe Himdlaya, the highest plants 
were found by us at 17,500 ft., on the slopes of the Jante pass, in 
Kamaon. 
In the Andes, Colonel Hall found the highest phanerogamic plants 
on the slopes of Chimborazo, at 15,769 ft., consequently 4,040 it. 
lower than the Ibi Gamin plants in Tibet. 
Inthe Alps, my brothers found an analogous extreme on the south- 
ern slopes of the Vincent pyramide at 12,540 ft. 
2. Animal life. 
Monkeys appear to frequent, in the Himalaya, regions exceeding 
11,000 ft. in height ; the Semnopithecus schistaceus, Modgs. ascending | 
