1900.] Hart. — Remarks on Cybelc Hibonica, ^iZ 



speak for themselves in the first instance. They know, and 

 the}' will tell no lies. Consequently it is our business to 

 harmonize our geological theories with the truth, and not to 

 distort the evidence of our senses so as to fit it into some 

 formula which is largely hypothetical perhaps, and which 

 should at once give wa}^ to the incontrovertible laws of nature. 

 The above condition of things does not occur in North Green 

 land, nor would it, I imagine, be easy to produce a parallel. 



On page Iv. and Ivi. two interesting lists are given of western 

 plants, not found east of Long. 8''' W. ; and of eastern plants, 

 not found west of Long. 7^' W. To the former of those may 

 be added Allmni Babingtonii^ east of Long. 8'^' (in Donegal); 

 and to the latter ma}^ be added the following from Donegal 

 localities which were not known to the authors : — Thalictimm 

 diinensCy Hieracmni striclum, H. anratiun, H. corymboszun 

 Myosotis collina, and Eqtiisctnm Moorci (which many hold as 

 inseparable from E. tracliyodon, which occurs in the west). On 

 the same page (Ivi.) several Donegal Hawkweeds ma}^ be added 

 to the '' northern plants." 



I omitted to call attention to another sad conclusion on 

 pages xxxix.-xl. ; the great god Pan is dead ! The Gulf Stream 

 is no more. Our valued friend is taken from us, and we 

 receive nothing but vapour in exchange for the loss. This is 

 the decision of the ^' best authorities." But I find the tradition 

 lingering along in great force in Dr. Murray's articles, 

 " Atlantic " and " Gulf Stream," in Chambers' Encyclopcedia, 

 1890, and I have just read with keen delight the paper on 

 "Oceanography of the North Atlantic," communicated to the 

 Geographical Jo2irnal (^OY^mhe^Y, 1898) by that enthusiastic 

 oceanographer, the Prince of Monaco. He still believes in the 

 Gulf Stream, and recently, in another communication of his, he 

 did Donegal the honour to place its course (that of the stream) 

 in closer juxtaposition to it than to any other part of Ireland, 

 a conclusion he arrived at by his elaborate and costly scheme 

 of Atlantic floats. Further north it impinges closely upon the 

 Scottish Hebrides. His words are "This vortex begins 

 towards the Antilles and Central America with the Gulf Stream, 

 which issues from the Gulf of Mexico, and with the equatorial 

 current ; passing the banks of Newfoundland at a tangent, it 

 turns to the east, approaches the European coasts, and runs 

 southwards from the Channel to Gibraltar. A wide branch 



