Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/24

 12 ASIA from the cold northern winds, and heated and watered by the monsoons, that the vegetation early assumes a tropical character. In the jungles among the lower ridges of the Hima- laya ferns and orchidaceous plants abound. Trees of the fig tribe are a special characteris- tic. Some, as the banian, throw off shoots from their branches, which take root on reaching the ground, and become independent trunks, sending off other branches, which also take root, until a forest is formed around the parent stem. Palms of many kinds abound in India ; of some species every part is useful to man. Cotton is of spontaneous growth. The native fruits of India are numerous. The orange, the plantain, the banana, the mango, and the date, areca, palmyra, and cocoanut palms, are all of Indian origin. The flowers are notable for their brilliancy of color. The island of Ceylon, which may be regarded as the southern extremity of the Indian penin- sula, is the home of those species of laurel of which the bark constitutes cinnamon and cas- sia. The flora of Arabia is peculiar, being chiefly marked by the number of the plants producing odoriferous and medicinal gums. Oceans of barren sand, dotted here and there, wherever water is found, with oases, like isl- ands, cover a great part of Arabia and the ad- jacent Syria. The prevalent vegetation con- sists of grasses growing under the shade of the date palms; while plants of the acacia tribe spring up scantily in the arid sand. Coffee, originally brought from Abyssinia to Arabia, has thence been widely diffused ; the produc- tion in Arabia is small compared with the whole amount. The chief features of the Asia- tic flora, excluding the arctic regions, may be thus summed up: The principal forest trees are aloes, bamboo, birch, chestnut, cypress, ebony, fir, gutta percha, ironwood, larch, mangrove, maple, myrtle, oak, palm, pine, poplar, rosewood, sandalwood, teak, and wil- low. The fruits are almond, apple, apricot, banana, banian, betel, cashew, citron, cocoa, date, fig, grape, guana, guava, lemon, lime, mangosteen, mulberry, olive, orange, pandanus, peach, pear, plantain, plum, pomegranate, shad- dock, tamarind, and walnut. The most im- portant spices and condiments are camphor, cassia, cinnamon, clove, mace, and nutmeg. The tea and coffee plants furnish the bulk of the non-alcoholic beverages of the world. The leguminous plants, such as the bean, pea, and lentil, present a great variety of species. The yam supplies the place of the potato. Cereals are widely diffused in their proper localities. Tobacco has been introduced, and is extensive- ly cultivated. The sugar cane is indigenous. Hemp and flax are produced in large quanti- ties. Among the native drugs are aloes, anise, camphor, datura, jalap, myrrh, opium, and sarsaparilla, The zoology of Asia covers a wide field. It includes the whole class of do- mesticated animals. The ass, camel, goat, hog, horse, and ox came from Asia. Of the deer tribe there are many species, from the antelope to the reindeer. The Asiatic elephant differs considerably from its African congener. Be- sides some special anatomical peculiarities, it is distinguished by the smaller size of the ears and tusks, the latter being often entirely want- ing. In Africa the elephant has probably never been domesticated ; in Asia it has from time immemorial been made the servant of man in peace and war. Of oxen there are at least four distinct species : the Indian ox (bos In- dian), remarkable for its large hump, and held sacred by the Hindoos ; the yak (bos grun- niens) of central Asia, used as a beast of burden rather than of draught, notable for its silky* tail ; the buffalo (bos bubalm), often found wild, but capable of domestication; and the gayal (bos gavaus) of Indo-China. Among goats, that of Cashmere is famous for its silky hair, from which the costly shawls improperly styled camel's hair are made. Persia has a peculiar variety of sheep with a fatty tail. Many varie- ties of dogs exist; among the nobler species are the mastiff of Thibet, used for carrying burdens, and the Persian greyhound. Gen- erally the dog is accounted an unclean ani- mal, but a small species is fattened for food in China, the hams being considered a great delicacy. In India the pariah dog is the prin- cipal scavenger. Of the greater carnivora, the lion, leopard, and tiger are the chief. The Asiatic lion is smaller than the African, and lacks the flowing mane which forms the strik- ing feature of the male of the African species. A species of leopard, the cheetah, has been partially tamed, and is used in hunting. The tiger is peculiar to Asia, abounding in the warm plains of the south and east, never cross- ing the deserts which separate India from Persia, but sometimes straying as far north as Siberia. Wolves and foxes are numerous in the colder, hyeenas and jackals in the warmer regions. There are numerous species of bears ; those of the cold regions are large and fero- cious; those of the warmer parts are small and inoffensive, living mainly upon insects, fruits, and honey. Among about 422 species of quadrupeds found in Asia, 288 are stated to be peculiar to that continent. The tropical portions abound in monkeys, of which the species are numerous; some have long tails, some short ones, others none at all ; but none have the prehensile tails of some American species. The birds of Asia include eagles, vul- tures, and falcons, of the predatory orders, with nearly all the varieties of game and domestic fowls, except the turkey. Lizards and other saurian reptiles are numerous in the rivers of the warmer parts of the conti- nent; the gavial is the largest of its species. Pythons and other large serpents are found in the jungles. Of the larger venomous ser- pents, the cobra de capello is the most dread- ed. Of fishes, the salmonidm are abundant in the northern rivers, constituting the chief food of the natives and their train dogs. The