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Gatherings of a naturalist in Australasia (1860)
Gatherings of a naturalist in Australasia - 1860 Author:George Bennett Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: GATHEEINGS OF A NATURALIST. CHAPTER I. GENERAL FEATURES OF THE AUSTRALIAN CONTINENT.— CHARACTERISTIC VEGETATION.—BIRDS.—MAMMALIA.— MARINE PRODUCTION S.-PHY... more »SALIA PELAGICA.—FLYING FISH. The Continent of Australia, including Tasmania, extends from 10 to 45 of South latitude and from 112 to 154 of East longitude, and is about 3000 miles in length and nearly the same in breadth; it comprehends therefore almost every climate, from the tropical to that of the colder countries of Europe. The vegetation is remarkable in character—in many parts most luxuriant; and the plains, forests, and rivers alike abound with creatures of strange form—indeed the country teems with life. As at present known, its altitude varies from 1000 to 7000 feet above the level of the ocean. In some parts the coast is skirted by lofty inaccessible cliifs of sandstone and granite, and in others the land, on approaching it from the sea, presents low sandy hillocks clothed with a scanty but peculiar Flora, which in certain latitudes assumes a tropical character. The general aspect of the coast region varies in its features: in some districts it consists of open, thinly wooded country, resembling parks, spreading over luxuriant grassy plains; other tracts are encumbered with dense forests, in which trees of enormous magnitude prevail, looking from their vastness as if they had been in exist- ence from the earliest period of the world's history. Amongst them the Eucalypti or Gum-trees rear their tapering stems, attaining an immense altitude and great circumference, while Giant Figs of still greater magnitude assume almost fabulous dimensions. From the singular mode of growth of the trees last mentioned, it is indeed difficult to calculate their exact size, on account of the extension of rope-like branches dow...« less