266 ESSAYS. 
crossing the continent, he comes upon large tracts of ground 
yellow with Eschscholtzia or blue with Nemophilas. But 
with a sentimental difference; in that Primroses, Daisies, and 
Heaths, like nightingales and larks, are inwrought into our 
common literature and poetry, whereas our native flowers and 
birds, if not altogether unsung, have attained at the most to 
only local celebrity. 
Turning now from similarities, and from that which inter- 
change has made familiar, to that which is different or 
peculiar, I suppose that an observant botanist upon a survey 
of the Atlantic border of North America (which naturally 
first and mainly attracts our attention) would be impressed 
by the comparative wealth of this flora in trees and shrubs. 
Not so much so in the Canadian Dominion, at least in its 
eastern part; but even here the difference will be striking 
enough on comparing Canada with Great Britain. 
The Coniferce, native to the British Islands, are one Pine, 
one Juniper, and a Yew; those of Canada proper are four or 
five Pines, four Firs, a Larch, an Arbor-Vite, three Junipers, 
and a Yew, fourteen or fifteen to three. Of Amentaceous 
trees and shrubs, Great Britain counts one Oak (in two 
marked forms), a Beech, a Hazel, a Hornbeam, two Birches, 
an Alder, a Myrica, eighteen Willows, and two Poplars, — 
twenty-eight species in nine genera, and under four natural 
orders. In Canada there are at least eight Oaks, a Chestnut, 
a Beech, two Hazels, two Hornbeams of distinct genera, six 
Birches, two Alders, about fourteen Willows and five Poplars, 
also a Plane tree, two Walnuts and four Hickories ; say forty- 
eight species, in thirteen genera, and belonging to seven 
natural orders. The comparison may not be altogether fair ; 
for the British flora is exceptionally poor, even for islands so 
situated. But if we extend it to Scandinavia, so as to have 
a continental and an equivalent area, the native Conifere 
would be augmented only by one Fir, the Amentacee by sev- 
eral more Willows, a Poplar, and one or two more Birches ; 
no additional orders nor genera. 
If we take in the Atlantic United States east of the Mis- 
sissippi, and compare this area with Europe, we should find 
