52 LIFE ZONES AND CROP ZONES. 



and the valley of the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California. 

 The Florida area is genuine humid tropical ; the Texas and Arizona- 

 California areas are dilute arid tropical. 



Among the tropical trees that grow in southern Florida are the royal 

 palm, Jamaica dogwood, manchineel, mahogany, and mangrove; and 

 among the birds are the caracara eagle, white-crowned jjigeon, zenaida 

 dove, quail doves, a Bahama vireo, and the Bahama honey creeper. 

 The absence of characteristic tropical mammals and tlie relatively small 

 number of troiDical birds in Florida is due to the lack of land connec- 

 tion with other tropical areas; while the presence of the jaguar, ocelot, 

 and other tropical cats, the armadillo, and a considerable number of 

 tropical birds in southeastern Texas is the direct result of the continu- 

 ous extension of the Tamaulipan arid tropical fauna from Mexico into 

 Texas. The extension of the arid tropical along the lower Colorado 

 and Gila rivers is over a desert region of such excessive aridity that 

 only desert mammals and birds can live there. The flora has not been 

 sufficiently studied, but is characterized by giant cactuses, desert aca- 

 cias, palo verdes, and the Washington or fan-leaf palm. 



Crops of the Tropical Region. 



With irrigation the arid tropical areas are found to be as produc- 

 tive as the liumid tropical, but they luive been cultivated so short a 

 time that their capabilities can only be iufei-red from the circumstance 

 that bananas, citrons, dates, guavas, lemons, loquats, oranges, and 

 Mexican limes do well in the Arizona-California arm. No informa- 

 tion is at hand relating to the Texan or Tamaulipan arm. 



Ti-oi)ical Florida, with its handsome cocoanut palms and extensive 

 banana iields, has been longer under cultivat ion, but its full capacity 

 is still unknown, and the following list must be regarded as far from 

 complete: 



C'Kui's OF Tkoi'K'ai. Florida. 



rlTKLS riiUITS. 



Bergamot OraiKje (( 'ilrxs iHnjaviiiiin ) . Mdiitlariiis, 



Citrous. ( )r(i iiijcs. 



Lemons. Ponirlovs. 

 Limes. 



OTHEK FRUITS. 



Arocatio (Ai/Kiicotc). Caiob or Si. Johns bread (Ceratouia 



Ain(((iniffi(l<i (C<(risso <ir<liiiii<i). siliqiia). 



B(in(in((. Cherimoijer. 



Barbados (/aoscbcn-ii (Piirskia «CH- Cocoannt. 



h'(ito). Custard apple (Auoua reticulata). 



Carauudu, Christ thorn {Carissa ca- Date. 



randas). Doivuy myrtle (Bhodomi/rtus tojucn- 



Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana). toso). 



Cashew nut. Egg fruit. 



