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tion of the earth. Metamorphosis seems the rule in the changes that rocks 

 present from their earliest deposition ; bnt perpetual migration, founded 

 perhaps on meteorological conditions, regulates the distribution of plants, and 

 not a slow alteration from one species into another. What may be effected in 

 " countless ages " by a theory like Darwin's, is but hypothetical after all, 

 whatever may be said in its favour ; but the change in the vegetation of a 

 country by migration perpetually going on is within our own observation. If 

 those botanists are correct who infer the vegetation of Australia to be the 

 oldest now aUve on the earth, from its similarity to the Tertiary Flora, that 

 appeared to be extinct, the argument as to alteration of species or family by 

 gradual change falls to the ground. If the Australian Flora is deemed a relio 

 of the Tertiary period, from its affinities to Tertiary vegetation, then vegeta- 

 tion of a different character is not so derived. If the Australian vegetation 

 has roved from other lands that could not now nourish it, then the present 

 European vegetation may have started into existence from other lands that 

 have now disappeared, aud in the case of Alpine vegetation, arising on moun- 

 tains elevated at a late geological period, I conceive that there can be no other 

 conclusion. Thus all vegetation has been fugitive — always changing its position 

 as far as we can now penetrate into the misty and undeterminable ages of 

 the past. 



I do not mean to say that such a view is without its difficulties, or that 

 there may not be certain secluded spots on the earth's surface where original 

 endemic vegetation may yet abide. But we see the migrating principle 

 before us ever causing alteration from this principle alone, and it is more 

 reasonable to suppose that this has ever been the plan of Nature, than that 

 the variety we now see is the result of a slow change by which from a few 

 original forms unnumbered species or varieties have been derived. I acknow- 

 ledge that we must step back to a vista not easily descried. The Malvern 

 flora is all derivative. The flora of the British islands is derivative also, and 

 it can be traced ; and so the flora of all Europe may be derivative, though its 

 80urce may not now be as evident as the connection of the Australian vegetation 

 with that of the Tertiary period. If we look at the treasures concealed in the 

 carboniferous rocks, we there see abundance of ferns, some of them as similar 

 as possible to ferns of the present day, and none can doubt that ferns must 

 have revelled in the moister places of the earth from the carboniferous period 

 to the present day. Here, then, ferns have continued ferns, and if they could 

 be found farther back in the world's herbarium, I do not believe they could 

 have been anything else. 



Instead, therefore, of believing in the increase of forms of vegetable life 

 npon the earth from change of species perpetually progressing, I believe they 

 ai-e growing less ; for whatever the horticultural creations of man they cannot 

 be made to last long, and many curious varieties after existing for a time, 

 instead of remainiug permanent, are lost ; showing that however vegetation 



