44 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Feb- 



natans), and several species of crustaceans reacli the islands by the 

 same source. Myriads of the Portuguese man-of-war (^Physalia 

 pelagica), the oblique-crested Velella ( V. vulgaris), and two species 

 of lantliina {I. fragilU and /. glohosa f), with their bubble-like 

 rafts, are cast ashore, while hundreds of the pearly Spirilla (^S. 

 Peronii) float about untenanted by their rightful owners. These 

 are all from the southward. Then ashore we find the land-crab 

 (^Gecarcinus ruricolct) burrowing in the sand-hills; and running 

 along the shore-rocks, the nimble and prettily marked Grapsus 

 pictus, both West Indian forms. To these may be added many 

 others all evidently descendants of an original stock brought thither 

 by the current of the Gulf Stream. 



As regards the botanical features of the islands, several trees, 

 shrubs, and plants occur of West Indian character, some of which, 

 springing as they do from positions close to high-water mark, de- 

 note their current origin. We may notice the calabash {Crescentia 

 cujete), the sea-side grape {Coccoloha uvifera), the Prickly 

 Lantana (Z/. acideata) , the Locust (^Hymencea couha?'il), the 

 Cochineal plant [Cactus cochinillifer) ; and many other species 

 may be enumerated in support of the probable influence of the 

 Gulf Stream. Two or three kinds of large beans are frequently 

 found cast upon the beach : one called pin-box by the inhabit- 

 ants, is the seed of a large species of trailing- vine (^Eiitada gigan- 

 tea'), bearing huge scymitar-shaped pods ; and is common in some of 

 the West Indian islands, especially Jamaica, where Colonel S. 

 Heath of the Royal Engineers informs us he has observed it grow- 

 ing in the mountains near the military station at Maroon Town, 

 some two thousand feet above the sea level. Drift trees, some- 

 times of large size, with the roots attached, are also floated ashore ; 

 and some few years ago, according to the observant naturalist 

 Hurdis, who resided several years in the Bermudas, two or three 

 cedar trees of dimensions far exceeding those of any specimens to 

 be seen on the islands, were found at some depth below the 

 surface of a marsh which had been reclaimed from the sea^ 

 and which from their appearance were of foreign origin, and 

 had doubtless been carried by the current from some part of 

 the adjacent continent. These drift trees are in many instances 

 the means of introducing pebbles and small portions of rock 

 adhering to their roots ; and it was with no little surprise that du- 

 ring our wanderings along the shores of the island we found these 

 stones, of entirely diff"erent consistence to that of the sandstone in 



