286 PROF. C. C. BABTNGTOK ON THE FLORA OF ICELA:?^0. 



especially record tliat they saw the rose-bushes at Seljaland. The 

 book is entitled ' Eeise im Norden Europas, vorziiglich in Island/ 

 and was published at Leipzig in 1827. It does not contain a re- 

 gular catalogue of the plants, but occasional notices ; neither is 

 there any index. 



r. Gliemann's * Greographische Beschreibung von Island/ pub- 

 lished at Altona in 1824, is the next book which contains a cata- 

 logue of the plants. It is the fullest list that we possess, if num- 

 ber of names is to be the criterion ; but the many repetitions and 

 mistakes in it show that it is not deserving of much confidence. 

 If drawn up by a botanist, it was very carelessly done, and with 

 the intention of swelling the list to the utmost. Morck, who tra- 

 velled in Iceland in 1820, is constantly quoted as an authority for 

 plants by Gliemann. Prof. Joh. Lange has sent me the names 

 of a considerable number of specimens collected by Morck, which 

 are preserved in the Herb. Homemann at Copenhagen. 



Hjaltalin's ' Islenzk Grrasafraedi,' published at Copenhagen in 

 1830, next occurs. It is a very rare book ; but a copy will be 

 found in the British Museum. It is written in the Icelandic 

 language, and contains a complete Flora of Iceland and an intro- 

 duction to botany. It gives short descriptions of the plants, re- 

 marks upon their uses, but apparently no exact localities. In it 

 the plants are arranged according to the Linnean system ; Ice- 

 landic names stand first, and after them the scientific names. The 

 Icelandic names are manifestly often only translations of the. 

 Latin names, not vernacular terms ; nevertheless many of the 

 true native names are also given. This book is a most admirable 

 contribution to our knowledge of the flora of the island, and 

 seems to be the result of much care and study- 

 Between the years 1835 and 1840 MM. Yahl and Eobert drew up 

 and published an account of the plants obtained during the voyage 

 of the French ship ' La Eecherche.' The list was made by Vahl, 

 and is entitled *Liste des plantes que Ton suppose exister en 

 Js'ande,' The author marks those plants which he knew to grow 

 there, and adds many others of doubtful nativity — many of them 

 very doubtful indeed, as it appears to me. 



My short list of the plants actually gathered by myself in 1846 

 was published in the * Annals of Natxu*al History ' for 1847 (set. i. 

 vol. XX. p. 30) and Trans, of Bot. Soc. Edin. (vol. iii. p. 15). 



In 1860 M. Benguerel observed a considerable number of plants 

 in Iceland, He has published a list of them in the 'Bull, de la 



