132 Postelsia 
is largely conditioned by the comparative lack 
of entomophilous flowers. And again the dis- 
parity in the insect population may be the chief 
cause for the scarcity of song birds, but further 
pursuance of these suggested thoughts would be 
digression here. 
In conclusion it can be said in general, that 
the flora of Vancouver Island, in so far as it can 
be judged by observations confined to a limited 
area of the same, is typically boreal: with an 
admixture of more arctic forms than the latitude, 
the elevation above sea level, and present climatic 
conditions would indicate. This is perhaps best 
illustrated by the fact that several species which 
grow only a few feet above sea-level on the island 
are identical with forms found in the Canadian 
Rockies at altitudes of 4000-7000 ft. and at higher 
latitudes. The infiltration of southern forms 
is slight. The greatest complexity of "plant 
life is shown in the beach formations. The 
coniferous forest is the principal formation of 
the region and has reached through favorable 
climatic and edaphic conditions it present 
enormous development. June, 1904. 
