384 SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



twenty-one of them by only one species each. Brightly- 

 coloured flowers are not wanting, though in number of 

 species those having inconspicuous flowers largely predomi- 

 nate. Thus, of the Cyperaceae there are 41 species ; of 

 the Graminese, 36 ; and of the Juncaceae, 18. With the 

 exception of the Cruciferae (21) species, all the others are 

 below 18. Various other botanists have subsequently taken 

 up the subject, and Grcenlund's work has been traversed, 

 criticised, and amended in details. An English summary of 

 this exists (20). There is also a further contribution (21) by 

 a native of Iceland on some new or rare vascular plants 

 from the island. The latest English summary (22) of the 

 flora is an interesting contribution to this literature, though I 

 believe it is little known. The author ogives the results of 

 his own collections and impressions, both botanical and 

 entomological, and many are of far more value than one 

 ordinarily meets with, especially those relating to the pre- 

 dominance of certain plants in certain districts ; the colour 

 in the landscape ; the characteristic alpine, moor, and marsh 

 plants ; the plants — Thymus Serpyllum and Parnassia 

 pahistris, that flourish in closest proximity to the hot springs 

 and steam of the geyser ; and the plants that are generally 

 distributed in the island, illustrated by comparisons with the 

 conditions and phenomena in other countries. He gives, on 

 the authority of Mr. Arthur Bennet, the total number of 

 species of vascular plants at about 428 ; but the estimate 

 depends largely upon the view taken of specific limits. Mr. 

 Walker himself collected only eighty-two species ; but he 

 separately reproduces the list of 477 species enumerated in 

 Baring-Gould's book on Iceland — a list evidently requiring 

 some revision. Mr. Walker's observations on the entomo- 

 logy of Iceland are equally interesting, especially in relation 

 to the fertilisation of flowers. He states that the leading 

 characteristics are : Total absence of butterflies and Orthop- 

 tera ; Neuroptera only represented by Phryganidce ; and 

 most of the moths are of a dusky colour, in harmony with 

 the lichens and rocks. Moths and Diptera, he adds, appear 

 to take the place on flowers that butterflies and Hymenop- 

 tera do in Britain. 



