262 George E. Nichols, 



J. R. Churchill — have undertaken any explorations in northern 

 Cape Breton. Aside from the work of these three, which was 

 almost wholly taxonomic, scattered observations of general botani- 

 cal interest are recorded in the report on the geology of this region 

 ('85) by Hugh Fletcher, the pioneer geologist whose detailed 

 maps, constructed more than thirty years ago, have afforded the 

 basis for all subsequent explorations ; while B. E. Fernow, on the 

 basis of a survey made for commercial purposes, has briefly 

 described the forests here, with an accompanying map, in his 

 account of the forest conditions of Nova Scotia ('12). 



The writer's acquaintance with northern Cape Breton dates 

 back to 1905 when about three weeks were occupied in a tramp 

 along the coast from Baddeck to Ingonish, across the island from 

 North River to Northeast Margaree, and thence back to Baddeck. 

 It was on this trip that the curly grass fern {Schizaea pusilla) 

 was first recorded from Cape Breton (see Nichols '05). In 

 1909, a month was spent in camp near the mouth of the Barrasois 

 River, but beyond the collection and identification of mosses and 

 liverworts no serious botanical work was attempted. The investi- 

 gations embodied in the present paper were projected in 1913 and 

 have been carried on for parts of four summers. Altogether, 

 during this time, more than six months have been occupied by 

 field work in northern Cape Breton. In 1914, and again in 191 5, 

 a base camp was maintained for about a month along the lower 

 course of the Barrasois River (St. Ann's), from which point 

 excursions were made into the surrounding country, while another 

 month was spent at various points along the eastern coast, between 

 St. Ann's Bay and Aspy Bay, and in the interior. During the 

 summer of 1916 the entire length of the coast from St. Ann's Bay 

 to Cape North was traversed on foot, and a week was spent in the 

 interior. On this trip the writer was accompanied by Dr. L. H. 

 Harvey, whose experience in the Mt. Ktaadn region suggested 

 many interesting comparisons. The first draft of the present 

 paper was prepared during the college year 1916-1917, and in the 

 summer of 191 7 another month was spent in the field, partly for 

 the purpose of checking up previous observations, partly with the 

 object of visiting the western coast of the area under considera- 

 tion. On this trip, starting from Baddeck, the author traveled 

 to Middle River, Northeast Margaree and Margaree Harbor, 

 thence along the coast to Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, across the 



