206 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1893. 



Bay, and Godthaab, the capital of the Southern Inspectorate of 

 South Greenland. 



Dr. Burk's collections were made at Godhavn, Upernavik, Duck 

 Islands, Cape York and McCormick Bay. 



The range of territory covered by the writer and Dr. Burk, there- 

 fore, was between about latitude 63° and above 78° or between God- 

 thaab and Littleton Island. 



In the catalogue prepared, a copy of which with remarks is 

 appended, those which were collected only by Dr. Burk are so stated, 

 as also are those collected only by the writer. As nearly the whole 

 collection was repeated by each collector, it may be taken as a fairly 

 complete flora of that portion of the territory of Greenland. 



Before starting in their respective journeys, both Dr. Burk and 

 the writer were instructed to examine as far as possible the influence 

 of ice sheets on the geographical distribution of plants. Professor 

 Thomas Meehan, the father of the latter, in a " Catalogue of Plants 

 collected in July, 1883, during an Excursion along the Pacific Coast 

 in Southeastern Alaska " x had given reasons for believing that plants 

 did not merely advance in the wake of retreating glaciers, or push into 

 growth from material brought down in their advance, but that when 

 caught under the mass of flowing ice, would remain for an indefinite 

 period, retaining vitality, and push again into growth when the ice 

 retreated. Professor Meehan was led to this conclusion from finding 

 no annual plants among those collected in the immediate wake of 

 retreating glaciers in Alaska, while the actual number of species of 

 perennials collected in such locations would be as great as if much 

 time had been given for a floral advance. He had but little oppor- 

 tunity for actual observation as to the plants brought down with the 

 earth carried on the ice, but so far as this went only Epilobium 

 latifolium and Dryas octopetela were found in this condition, and 

 scarcely any plants were observed on recently deposited moraines. 

 These and some other facts led to the hypothesis that the plants were 

 not migratory, but had held their position through the whole icy 

 period. 



The writer believes he has added to these facts by the determina- 

 tion of the existence of much the same flora in isolated spots of land 

 recently bared by the neve of the inland ice, as grow away from the 

 margins of the ice sheet, while the finding of living willow trunks, 

 grass and perennial plants of many years growth close to the edges 



1 Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philada., 18S4. 



