80 DE. J. D. HOOKER ON THE FLOEA 



novelties amongst flowering plants *, Dr. Walker's herbarium is 

 a particularly interesting one, both from the thorough manner in 

 which that officer explored the localities he visited, and from the 

 proximity of one of his stations (Port Kennedy, in the Boothian 

 peninsula) to the magnetic pole. The florula of that province 

 is further important as affording a means of determining the 

 western and eastern limits respectively of several Arctic Western 

 American and Greenland plants. A glance at the northern circum- 

 polar chart shows that the peninsula of Boothia is placed in a very 

 central position amongst the Arctic American islands, the botany 

 of the eastern, western, and northern of which has been investi- 

 gated by many indefatigable and intrepid officers, whilst of the 

 central districts, and especially of Boothia itself, nothing has 

 hitherto been known. 



The total number of species brought by Dr. Walker is about 170, 

 of which nearly 100 are flowering plants. Of these, only 46 flower- 

 ing plants, and 58 Cryptogamic, were collected at Port Kennedy ; 

 most of the remainder were gathered, either on the coasts of 

 Greenland — at Frederikshaab and Godthaab, south of the Arctic 

 circle, and at Disco (and Godhavn), Fiskemasr, and Upernavik, 

 north of that circle — or in Pond's Bay and Lancaster Sound, to 

 the west of Baffin's Bay. As these are all botanically well-known 

 localities, I shall make no further remarks on them here, observing 

 only that Dr. Walker's plants from these quarters have been of 

 great use to me in drawing up a general account of the whole 

 Arctic flora, which I shall have the honour of laying before this 

 Society ; and I shall confine my attention at present to the Port 

 Kennedy flora. 



Port Kennedy is situated in latitude 72° N., and is 250 miles 

 north of that part of the Arctic American coast which w r as tra- 

 versed in 1839 by Dease and Simpson (who made careful collec- 

 tions), and about as far south of the Parry Islands, which have 

 been thoroughly explored by General Sabine, Admiral Sir James 

 Boss, Dr. Lyall, and many other officers The country about 

 Port Kennedy would at first sight appear to be favourable to 

 Arctic vegetation in many ways. It is uncovered by snow from 

 July 1st to October 1st ; the soil is not unfavourable ; and there 

 are ravines, lakes, marshes, and sea-beach, offering both shelter and 

 varied conditions for plants ; but yet the flora seems to be consider- 

 ably poorer than that of any of the surrounding islands, — Melville 



* Amongst the Cryptogamic plants are two Algae of great rarity, and three 

 new Fungi. 



