13G 



THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 



Thouars passed five hours on the island, and collected fifty species of plants. No 

 landing was effected on the 4th, but on the 5th he spent eight hours ashore, and 

 added thirty plants to his previous collection ; and on the 6th he landed at nine o'clock 

 in the morning, remaining on the island until ten o'clock of the morrow, in consequence 

 of his having been benighted in an attempt to scale the dome of the mountain. This 

 excursion, though long and up to a great elevation, yielded only twenty new plants. 

 Finally, an hour was spent on the day of departure on another point of the island, 

 where, however, not a single plant was seen that had not been collected before. The 

 summary below of the plants he collected is interesting for comparison with our enumeration 

 of all the plants known from the islands, while affording striking evidence of his activity 

 and industry during the short period he was ashore. 



It has been stated that few difficulties have arisen in identifying Thouars's plants, but 

 an exception should have been made with regard to some of the cellular cryptogams. 

 In the following enumeration his name is cited after each of the species which he is 

 known to have collected, and the citations are complete for the vascular plants. The 

 additions made by subsequent travellers are noted in the succeeding paragraphs. Much 

 more information might be gleaned from Thouars's work; but as Carmichael, by reason 

 of his lengthened stay in the island, had the advantage .of fuller knowledge, we prefer 

 quoting him for the condition of the main island at the beginning of the present 

 century ; while Moseley must be our authority for its appearance ten years ago, as 

 well as our sole authority for the vegetation of Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands; 

 their natural history not having been investigated prior to the visit of the Challenger. 



