EXISTING VEGETABLE CREATION. | 13 
the primitive state of things. But this result loses much of its value, 
when it is considered, that the Scandinavian mountain-flora, which is 
the more ancient, shows much instability in regard to forms, pointing 
towards the great variety of localities, as the leading cause. 
Although I think it reasonable to conclude, that the flora of the 
Alps is of more recent date, than that of middle Europe, or of the 
. Scandinavian mountains, yet I do not by any means consider this as 
finally proved. To attain any degree of certainty, we require a great 
many data, founded on geological structure, which are yet wanting ; 
and in order to form conclusions from the internal character of the 
floras, we must compare many of these, on purpose to obtain the value 
of certain numerical proportions between the principal groupes and the 
characters of the floras. It is only by the earnest co-operation of the 
botanist, geologist, and zoologist, that we can expect to arrive at any 
conclusive results. I could wish, especially, that botanists would be 
induced to study thoroughly the phyto-geographical divisions, their 
peculiar features, and the physical conditions, under which they present 
themselves. What has been advanced above, must be considered as 
propositions only, awaiting further researches. In the meanwhile, I 
will conclude with the following remarks. It is well known that 
New Holland and South Africa are remarkable by the great diver- 
sity, as well as peculiarity, of their vegetable productions ; while, 
on the contrary, the flora of extra-tropical South America is devoid 
of either, and approaches not a little to the flora of Europe and North 
America. Now, this multiplicity of forms cannot have originated in 
migration, for which neither of those countries is adapted; New 
Holland being entirely surrounded by the ocean, and South Africa 
equally so in three directions, while in the fourth it is bounded by 2 
mountains and barren deserts. Neither can we suppose that the multi- 
plicity has arisen from circumstances of climate, which, from the greater 2 
influence of the sea in the southern hemisphere, should be less diversified. 
May we not, therefore, explain this singularity in the three continents - 
of that hemisphere upon Aistorical grounds? In New Holland, as- 
well as in South Africa, there is a certain instability of species; and E 
families belonging to the most perfect, exhibit a great development - 
and predominancy, such as Mimoseæ and Myrtacee. Finally: most 
salt-water plants (4a/ophytes) belong to the less-developed pentamerot 
groupe, that is, to the apetalous, which predominated in the former 
