64 OTTO VERNON DARBISHIKE, (Schwed. Südpolar-Exp. 



Before saying a few more words on the connection of the antarctic and sub- 

 antarctic American Lichens I would like to give some details regarding the South 

 Georgian species. 



Frutic. Foliac. Crust. Totals. 



Suhantarctic American and New Zealand species 3 3 3 9 



Suhantarctic American species only 4 z 5 " 



New Zealand species only — I I 



Other countries — — 5 5 



Endemic - 3 10 13 



Suhantarctic American and Antarctic I — 2 3 



New Zealand and Antarctic — 2 1 3 



Antarctic only — I I 2 



Suhantarctic American, New Zealand and Antarctic ... 5 I 2 8 



Total 13 12 30 55 



These columns become rather clearer if we put them in this shape: 



Species found also in Frutic. Foliac. Crust. Totals, 



suhantarctic America ... 13 or IOO °» 6 or 50 "o 12 or 40 % 31 or 56 % 



New Zealand 8 » 66 ; 6 : 50 > 7 » 23 > 21 » 39 > 



Antarctis . . - 6 » 50 » 4 » 33 » 6 > 20 ) 16 > 30 > 



other countries 5 * '7 s 5 "' 9 ' 



Endemic species 3 or 25 % 10 » 33 » 13 > 24 > 



It is clear from these few figures that the lichens of South Georgia as far as 

 they are known at present are very near to the subantarctic species, nearer in fact 

 then to the New Zealand or the Antarctic species. These statistical notes offer in 

 my opinion a very strong confirmation of the plea for the separation of the South 

 Georgian group of Islands from the true antarctic vegetation area and its inclusion 

 in a South Georgian district belonging to the Subantarctic zone of vegetation. This 

 is the plan favoured by SkoTTSBERG in his remarks on the distribution of vegetation 

 in the colder south hemisphere. 



South Georgia then becomes a half-way house on the road from subantarctic 

 America to the true Antarctic district. 



There is apparently no limit to the adverse conditions of cold and exposure 

 which the lichens can bare. But it is of course necessary that they should remain 

 without snow for at least some time. We have not yet properly learnt what it is in 

 the lichen that makes it able to withstand cold as it does. I can only suggest some 

 very interesting experiments which could be carried out with no great difficulty on 

 lichens in the very coldest regions. It would be of the greatest importance to de- 

 termine the amount of water contained in the lichen thallus at various times and 



