36 



in the west of Ireland, which are identical Anth or closely related 

 to the vegetation of the north-west of Spain, and indicate a time 

 when a great mountain barrier — or rather so far as it affected 

 vegetable migration — a great mountain bridge, extended across 

 the Atlantic from Ireland to the Peninsula. 



A portion of the vegetation of the South-east of England is 

 identical with that on the opposite coast of France, and points 

 to a connection between these two coasts at some remote period. 

 There is, again, what is called the Alpine flora of Wales, and 

 the northern part of the island, that is, species which are found 

 only on the tops of the highest hills and represent a flora which 

 is supposed to have covered this region of the earth in the glacial 

 period, when the mountains of Britain were low islands or mem- 

 bers of an archipelago extending to the area of Norway, Of the 

 latter flora we have one representative in this locality in the 

 Cloudberry, Ruhus Chamainorus, which grows on Pendle. There 

 is this peculiarity about our Pendle plant— while the Cloudberry 

 flowers on Ingleborough and all hills higher then Pendle, it has 

 never yet been discovered in flower there, though botanists have 

 made repeated journeys thither for the purpose of observing it. 

 It will thus be seen that the indigenous plants of this locality 

 are the indigenous plants of a certain European latitude, that 

 our local flora is identical in type with that of Germany. 



Botanists vary in iheir statements of the number of British 

 species not because they differ as to the real extent of the flora, 

 but because they differ in opinion as to what constitutes a species ; 

 some classing what are probably mere varieties as permanent 

 species. Thus Babington gives 1,708 species of plants. Hooker 

 and Arnott 1,578, while Bentham reduces the number of per- 

 manent species to 1,285. Of these, nearly one-third, about 

 400, constitute the indigenous flora of the Burnley basin, in- 

 cluding the vallej's of the Don, the Brun, the two Calders, and 

 the smaller tributary streams flowing from the surrounding 

 watersheds of Pendle on one side, Boulsworth on another, the 

 Hambledon range on a third, and converging towards the west. 

 The radius of the district may be roughly stated at from six to 

 eight miles. 



One of the best guides to a systematic study of our flowering 

 plants and ferns is undoubtedly Bentham's " Manual of the 

 British Flora." To this may be added any popular manual of 

 structural and pliysiological botany, such as Lindley's or Balfour's. 

 Armed with these and a pocket lens, the botanical student, after 

 acquiring a general knowledge of the elementary principles of 

 the science, may begin his investigations at once by the collection 

 and examination of species. The thorough dissection of one 

 I)lant — a practical mastery of its specific, generic and natural 

 characteristics, will be of more value, the source of much more 



