18G7.] DRUMMOND — DISTRIBUTION OF PLANTS. 171 



plants, nor has the latter been observed in the Northern States ; 

 and he has also collected Conopholis Americana Wallroth, 

 Physostegia Virginiana Benth., Eleocharis tenuis Schulter, and 

 Carex (Eden Ehrh., species which have been observed elsewhere 

 in the central, or in more northern parts of Canada, but which he 

 had never met with in the Counties of Hastings and Northumber- 

 land. The occurrence of these species in the localities named 

 was. I conceive, rightly ascribed by Mr. Maconn, to the drift of 

 Lake Ontario. The currents of the lake take a direction from 

 the Niagara River to the entrance to the St. Lawrence, and the 

 Prince Edward peninsula, extending far into the lake would — 

 aided by the prevailing winds — readily intercept the drift. 



It is easy to conjecture that a similar cause to that which 

 occasioned the presence of the above-mentioned plants upon the 

 northern shores of Lake Ontario, would lead to the occurrence of 

 forms still more southern upon the Lake Erie shore, at Point 

 Pelee and Long Point, localities, the very formation of which 

 was due, in the first place, to the action of the winds and current. 

 Some plants not at present familiar to us as Canadian, will yet, 

 I suspect, be detected there. The action of the currents of Lake 

 Huron and of the River St. Clair is, I think, exemplified in 

 the occurrence of Primula farinosa Linn, and P. Mistassinica 

 Michx. upon the shores of that lake and Lake St. Clair. 



It has long been a fact familiar to American botanists that a 

 number of strictly maritime plants are diffused along the shores 

 of the Great Lakes, in the immediate vicinity of some smaller 

 lakes, and extensive swamps, situated at a short distance away, 

 and near salt springs in New York State and Wisconsin. The 

 number of these has been, within the last two years, slightly 

 increased. The Rev. Mr. Paine and Judge Clinton, have 

 detected Naias major All., Ruppia maritima Linn., and 



Lcptodoa fascicularis Gray — a perhaps sub-maritime species 



near the margin of the Onondago Lake, in New York State 

 and Canadian botanists, although they have not added to this 

 section of their lake shore flora, have yet thrown some further 

 light upon its distribution. The brief catalogue hereunder, prob- 

 ably includes all the maritime plants, with one or more, perhaps 

 strictly sub-maritime species, now known to have this peculiar 

 range. 



Ranunculus Cymbalaria, Pursh. Polygonum articulatum, Linn. 

 Cakile Americana, Nutt. Rumex maritimus. Linn. 



