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…the general phenomena of plant distribution… |
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The amount of identical species in the two continents and in the two hemispheres is far less than early travellers once led us to think.… [It is easy to confuse similar species.] When nature does not present the same species, she repeats the same genera. Neighboring species are often found at enormous distances from each other, in low regions of a temperate zone, and on mountains on the equator.…The more we study the distribution of organized life on the globe, the more we tend to abandon the hypothesis of migration. The Andes chain divides the whole of South America into two unequal longitudinal parts. At the foot of this chain, on both east and west, we found many plants that were specifically [=with regard to biological species] identical. The various passes on the Andes would not let any vegetation from warm regions cross from the Pacific coast to the Amazon banks. When a peak reaches a great height, whether in the middle of low mountains and plains, or in the centre of an archipelago raised by volcanic fires, its summit is covered with alpine plants, many of which are also found at immense distances on other mountains under similar climates. Such are the general phenomena of plant distribution.…[Humboldt presents varous species of rhododendron, or "befaria", which grow at various heights in proportion to latitude.] Near the equator the Andean rhododendrons cover the mountains right up to 1,600 and 1,700 toises. Going further north on La Silla we find them lower, below 1,000 toises. Befaria recently discovered in Floria, in latitude 30, grow on low hills. Thus, within 600 leagues in latitude, these shrubs descend toward the plains in proportion as their distance from the equator increases. |
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from Alexander von Humboldt, Jaguars & Electric Eels, translated by Jason Wilson. |
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Humboldt's travel through the Americas began in 1799 and ended in 1804. The "Personal Narrative" comprises the final three volumes of his "Voyage aux régions équinoxiales du Nouveau Continent", which comprises thirty-five volumes, and was written betweeen 1805 and 1834. Thus Humboldt is recollecting events and emotions that span not only the years of his travel, but those well before it; and he wrote his narration after the travel (sometimes many years after its end). The title "Jaguars & Electric Eels" was supplied for this translation and edition, and is not by Humboldt. |