302 SCIENCE PROGRESS. 



very much like that of a pine, and peels off in very thin 

 sheets." 



The common Cereus, which strongly resembles C. 

 peruvianus, attains almost the same dimensions ; but this 

 is all we know about it at present, and there is clearly 

 much more botanical work to be done in the Galapagos 

 before the subject is exhausted. It may be of interest to 

 add that no species of cactus inhabits the island of Juan 

 Fernandez, but this may be ascribed to climatic differences. 

 Indeed, so far as is known, none of the other Pacific American 

 islands, at any considerable distance from the coast, support 

 any members of the order, though Malpelo, for example, 

 is barren enough to give them a chance of flourishing. 



Another remarkable element in the flora of the Galapagos 

 is the relatively large number of species of the small order 

 Amarantacese. About fifteen species are now known to in- 

 habit the islands, and twelve of them are endemic. They 

 belong mainly to the genera Telautkera, Alternanthera, 

 and Froelichia. 



Concerning the flora of the Arctic Islands in relation to the 

 adjacent continents, I have to add a few references (47-48) 

 to works of older date than my paper (49), and a few recent 

 ones of unusual interest. Mr. Trevor- Battye's account of 

 the vegetation of Kolguev Island (50) and Colonel Feilden's 

 contributions on the subject (51-52) rank first among these. 

 The former noted ninety-five species of phanerogamia in 

 Kolguev, and his observations on the vegetation are of 

 great value. About a score of the plants recorded by 

 Ruprecht (53) were not found, and Trevor-Battye remarks 

 on the absence of Saxifraga oppositifolia, Mertensia maritima 

 and Ledum palustre. Colonel Feilden's short paper on 

 Spitsbergen plants, as well as his remarks on mild arctic 

 climates, is worthy of attention on account of his experience. 

 The only information I have found (54) respecting the 

 vegetation of Einsamkeit Island is that there is no grass 

 carpet, and it is added that there is a great quantity of drift- 

 wood, sometimes far inland. A new list (55) of Iceland 

 and Faeroe plants does not claim to be anything more than 

 a contribution to local distribution. 



