osquito
which is sometimes troublesome, especially to strangers. The list of
reptiles is limited to three varieties of lizard and one species of
frog. The only fresh-water fish is the eel. Marine fishes are not
numerous, the reason perhaps being that the steepness of the coast does
not allow seaweed to grow in sufficient quantity to support the lower
forms of marine animal life. Whales and seals are occasionally seen. The
cuttle-fish is abundant, and is sought for as an article of food.

_Flora_.--The position of mountainous islands like the Canaries, in the
subtropical division of the temperate zone, is highly favourable to the
development, within a small space, of plants characteristic of both warm
and cold climates. Von Buch refers to five regions of vegetation in
Teneriffe:--(1) From the sea to the height of 1300 ft. This he styles
the African region. The climate in the hottest parts is similar to that
of Egypt. Here grow, among the introduced plants, the coffee tree, the
date-palm, the sugar-cane, the banana, the orange tree, the American
agave and two species of cactus; and among indigenous plants, the dragon
tree on the north-west of Teneriffe. A leafless and fantastic euphorbia,
_E. canariensis_, and a shrubby composite plant, _Cacalia kleinia_, give
a character to the landscape about Santa Cruz. (2) Between 1300 ft. and
2800 ft. This is the region of south European vegetation, the climate
answering to that of southern France and central Italy. Here nourish
vines and cereals. (3) The region of indigenous trees, including
various species of laurel, an _Ardisia, Ilex, Rhamnus, Olea, Myrica_,
and other trees found wild also at Madeira. The clouds rest on this
region during the day, and by their humidity support a vegetation
amongst the trees, partly of shrubs, and partly of ferns. It extends to
the height of 4000 ft. (4) The region of the beautiful _Pinus
canariensis_, extending to the height of 6400 ft.; here the broad-leaved
trees have ceased to grow, but arborescent heaths are found throughout
its whole extent, and specimens of _Juniperus oxycedrus_ may be met
with. (5) The region of Retama (_Cytisus nubigenus_), a species of
white-flowering and sweet-scented broom, which is found as high as
11,000 ft. At the upper edge of this region a lilac-coloured violet
clings to the soil, and above there is nothing but a little lichen. The
number of wild flowering plants may be estimated at 900, upwards of 270
of which are