1869.] MATTHEW — ON PLANTS IN ACADIA. 163 



Grand Lake, on the one hand, and those of Grand and Kcn- 

 nebeckasis Bay, on the other. 



As the excess of water in the southern tributaries, viz., the 

 Kennebeckasis, Nerepis and Belleisle Rivers, has, to a great 

 extent, been discharged before the "freshet" of the main river 

 rises, the great rush of water down from it causes a reflux into 

 the above mentioned rivers, which second overflow is known on 

 the Kennebeckasis as the " back freshet." This krge body of 

 cold water, which does not subside before the first week in June, 

 undoubtedly retards very much the development of vegetation on 

 the lower part of the St. John River. About two weeks after 

 the ice in this part of the river has been discharged into the Bay, 

 that from the upper part (above the Grand Falls) makes its 

 appearance in the harbor, and is distinguished not only by the 

 great quantity of drift-wood and freshet debris which accompany 

 it, but also by its clearness and solidity (hence called the " block 

 ice.") It frequently happens that this second run of ice does 

 not pass the falls, but southerly winds hold it in the still waters 

 above until it becomes liquified by the increasing heat of spring. 

 When this happens the debris and vegetable matter, brought 

 down from the head waters of the St. John, are thus scattered 

 over the shores of Kennebeckasis Bay and the " Long Reach," 

 and the seeds of species once peculiar to the upper part, have by 

 this means been distributed along the lower part of the river. 



These annual freshets and their concomitants have undoubtedly 

 efiected much in the distribution of species over areas in Central 

 and Southern New Brunswick, which they could only have 

 reached otherwise by slow degrees. It is in this way that I 

 would account for the abundance of many species below the 

 freshet mark on Kennebeckasis Bay, which have not been met 

 with on the surrounding hills, but are common in the interior of 

 the Province. Moreover, there are several species, which are 

 noted by Mr. Goodale, as being very abundant on the Upper St. 

 John (above Grand Falls), which are also met with on the shores 

 of the Kennebeckasis, such as Nahalus racemosus, a plant 

 decidedly north-western in its range, the two Primroses, 

 Primula farinosa, and P. niistassinica, which grow in several 

 places along the shore ; the latter with its beds of beautiful pale 

 rose-colored flowers tinting the gravelly beaches of Drury's 

 Cove. To these we may perhaps add the Northern Green Orchis 

 (^Platanihera hyperborea), and the wild Chive (Allium schamo- 



