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CARL H. LINDROTH 



supposed "bridge", would be the most suitable starting-point and we should 

 begin the discussion with an analysis of their faunas and floras. 



The Faeroes and Iceland are inhabited by almost purely European biota. 

 The few undisputable cases of Nearctic elements on the islands are listed in 

 Table 1. 



Table 1. Nearctic Elements in the Flora and Fauna of Iceland and 



THE Faeroes 

 (lacking on the European mainland) 



* The number of Nearctic vascular plants may actually be higher in Iceland 

 (Love and Love, 1956, p. 171). At least Sali.x glauca callicarpaea (Trautv.) 

 and Galium bievipes Fern. & Wieg. (Biandegei auct. p.p.) should perhaps be 

 considered; the former is accepted by Hulten (1958, p. 186). On the other 

 hand, 1 have included Leucoichis straminea above, though it is not kept 

 separate from albida L. by Hulten Hoc. cit. p. 116), Bocher, Holmen and 

 Jakobsen (1957), and others. Also, Carex Lyngbyei Hornem., occurring on 

 Iceland and the Faeroes, seems to be Nearctic (Hutten, loc. cit., p. 292). 



On the Faeroes, they consist of four species: one Orchid with extremely 

 minute seeds; two Noctuid moths with excellent flying ability; finally, the 

 freshwater sponge Heteromeyenia ryderi, not found on Iceland but known 

 from Ireland and the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. It has been suggested 

 (Arndt, 1928, p. 159; Lindroth, 1957, p. 245) that the occurrence on the 

 Faeroes, at least, is the result of bird transport of the resistant "gemmulae"' 

 of this sponge. 



Iceland possesses a somewhat larger American element (Table 1): three 

 vascular plants (at least); one freshwater crustacean of the genus Diaptomus; 

 the eight remaining species being flying animals, insects and birds. The 



