262 NOTES ON THE BOTANY 
sphere, is as nearly as possible the same as that of our 
Channel Islands in the Northern ; and these, though far more 
limited in extent, produce, as stated by Mr. Babington, about 
eight hundred and forty species of phenogamous plants: 
whereas, in Kerguelen’s Island, though the Flora was doubled 
by the researches of the “ Erebus and Terror,” the number 
of species does not exceed thirty-two, while the proportion 
of Cryptogamic plants is very great ; from which circumstance 
a very rigorous climate might be inferred. Such is not, how- 
ever, the case: the winters, though stormy, are not so severe 
as to destroy the power of vegetation, or even materially to 
retard inflorescence. The paucity of plants must be accounted 
for from other causes. 3 
We have reason to know that the peculiarities of soil, 
climate, voleanic action, &c. of this remarkable spot, as affect- 
ing its vegetable productions, are fully discussed in the 
journal of the botanist of this expedition, and some highly 
interesting results are deduced. We have no desire to anti- 
cipate that information, but are unwilling to withhold the ce 
following remarkable fact. “Cook visited this island m 
December, the very height of summer, when he met with: ue 
only eighteen species of plants (as before stated) including — 
Cryptogamia: of these he mentions five flowering plants m 
blossom. Of these five, I have, in May, gathered three, 
abundantly in flower, and two others, the Cabbage, and, I 
suppose, the Callitrichoid plant, just running into seed. 
these five again, two remained in bloom till July 20th, ee 
none but the Cabbage had, till that time, fully shed its seed. — : 
. Hence it would appear that few of the vegetables had per- — — 
formed their most important function, before the middle of fe 
winter.” Winter botanizing in these antarctic regions, 9» 
however, no sinecure, as the following extract will show. — 
“During my stay at Kerguelen's Island, I devoted all my — — 
time to collecting everything in the botanical way. 
Captain kindly took off all restriction, permitting me to go Le 
shore whenever I liked. My rambles were generally solitary; 
through the wildest country I ever beheld. The hills = 
