The linden marks former Slavic regions. The chestnut (Mediterranean flora) thrives along the Rhine. The evergreen holly (Medi terranean) is confined to Western Germany. The evergreen box avoids the cold east.
Introduced trees: American horsechestnuts quite common, especially in the cities; Ameri can locust trees belong to the flora now and form woods in Anhalt; Oriental cherries, plums, prunes, apricots; and walnut trees are common fruit trees. Along the highways tall Lombardy poplars are seen, but also apple, cherry and plum trees.
Meadows occupy marshy districts along the shores, and together with woods, the flood plains of rivers, and form patches in the moun tains and in the Alps. They are a dense growth of grasses (20-30 species) intermingled with a great variety of flowering herbs (meadow saffrons in the fall) ; natural or cul tivated, always indicating moist soil.
On sandy soil birches and pines may grow or the heath develops (heather and vaccinium) (Northwest Germany, tops of mountains, high plateaus of South Germany).
Bogs and swamps cover large areas of the lowland and of the southern plateaus. They are the coldest parts of the country and retain arctic plants. Rushes, sedges, reeds, sphagnum mosses and the insectivorous sundew, Utricu laria, and Pinguicula form their flora.
Along the shores a salt flora develops with fleshy leaves and stalks. It is occasionally found inland (near Halle).
Sand dunes have special grasses and thistles.
Elodea canadensis introduced in female plants only has multiplied so that it often blocks navigation in rivers and canals.
Red poppies, blue bachelors' buttons, and purple corncockles adorn the grain fields. Many plants, especially weeds, are spread by man, railways and modern traffic, and foreign plants are mixed in with the native flora.
Difference in climate: fruit trees bloom in Memel about four weeks later than on the Rhine.
Fauna.— Old Germania had a rich wood land fauna. Directly and indirectly man has caused many changes. Many animals were ex terminated, others were too much disturbed in their habits and disappeared. The creation by farming of an artificial steppe (aKultursteppeD) invited others. Some were protected, other useful or injurious ones introduced.
Mammals.— The urns became extinct prob ably in the 17th century. The last bison (aur ochs) was killed in East Prussia in 1755. The elk is now confined to a few preserves in East Prussia. Wild boars much reduced in number survive only by protection. Bears have not been seen since 1835 (Bavaria). The wolf is now only found along the western mountainous border and in the large eastern forests. The lynx, common in the 17th century, seems to have disappeared (last ones: Harz Mountains, 1818; East Prussia, 1861; Wollin, 1875). Wild cats are scarce. The beaver has narrowed down its habitat to a few quiet places (Elbe near Dessau). The black rat (Mus rattua) which spread during the 12th century (from Asia?) is crowded out by the brown rat (Mus decumanus) which migrated in from Asia in the 17th century.
The snowhare in the Alps is an arctic relic. The hare, the most popular game, has many enemies, but is still common (game laws). Rabbits have been introduced and occasionally run wild. They are bred here and there, but are not popular.
Red deer are the pride of the woods, the ambition of the huntsmen, the subject of songs and poems. They and the smaller roe deer give the best venison (game laws). The fal low deer, introduced in the 16th century, is usu ally kept in game parks.
Other mammals are: fox, two martens, fitchet, ermine, weasel, otter, badger, a mink called ((No& (Postorioss lutreoloss, very rare in Northeast Germany, reaching here its western limit of distribution) ; the insectivores: hedge hog, mole, six shrews; the souslik (western limit in Silesia), the hamster (a steppe form which is comfortable in the fields).
The mammalian fauna comprises about 65 species, 16 per cent of the mammals of the parmarctic region.
The avifauna has about 225 species. The many singing birds and water-birds are char acteristic. Among the former are: finches, bullfinches, skylarks, nightingales thrushes, orioles; among the latter: rails, coots, cranes, herons, bitterns, storks, the spoonbill, swans, geese, brants, many ducks, mergansers, peli cans (very rare), cormorants, many gulls, sterns, greebes and loons, auks, murres. Flamingoes (Mediterranean) have been met with on the Rhine.