BRITTON: FLORA OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS 
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Our knowledge of the fungi of the islands is but fragmentary and it 
is therefore deemed wise not to attempt an enumeration of them at 
this time; a mycological survey would doubtless reveal the presence 
of several hundred species. Dr. Howe has contributed a note on the 
algological collections and researches of Mr. Borgesen. . 
St. Thomas and St. Jan are two of the Virgin Islands, discovered 
by Columbus in 1493, and were so called to commemorate the young 
women who are fabled as having accompanied St. Ursula. 
The Virgin Island group is usually regarded as composed of the 
following islands, proceeding from the west eastward, (1) Culebra, or 
Snake Island (Porto Rican); (2) St. Thomas, or San Thomé, and 
(3) St. John or San Jan; (4) Tortola, (5) Virgin Gorda, and (6) Ana- 
gada (British). Throughout this archipelago there are many islets 
and keys, and the marine views from the hills are among the most 
charming in America. If to the above mentioned larger islands we 
add (7) Jost Van Dyck, the next largest, a British island near Tortola, 
we have seven major Virgin Islands, eight if we include Vieques. 
Tortola (British) is separated from St. Jan by little over a mile 
of water. The purchase from the Danish government thus brings 
our frontier close to that of the British Empire at another point. 
Vieques, or Crab Island (Porto Rican), lies south of the axis of 
the archipelago, and is perhaps not properly a member of the Virgin 
Island group, although it is sometimes so considered. 
These islands were originally inhabited by Arawak and Carib 
Indians. St. Thomas was colonized by the Dutch in 1657, passed to 
the British about 1667, and to the Danes in 1671, who have since held 
it, except for short occupations by the British. St. Jan was colonized 
by the Danes in 1684, and their occupancy has since been continuous. 
St. Croix, or Santa Cruz, was also discovered by Columbus in 1493 or 
early in 1494, colonized by both Dutch and English in 1625, passed 
soon to the Spanish, and next to the French in 1651. The Danish 
ownership dates from 1733. It is isolated in the sea, and not properly 
of the Virgin Island group; in clear weather, it can be seen from the 
hills of Porto Rico and from those of St. Thomas and St. Jan. 
All three islands are oblong in shape, with the longer axes nearly 
east and west, the coast lines irregular. The hills of St. Thomas 
rise to about 1,500 feet; those of St. Jan are somewhat lower (about 
1,260 feet), while the highest point on St. Croix (Mt. Eagle) is 1,164 
feet. St. Croix is about 21 miles long, 6 miles wide, and has an area 
of about 84 square miles, being thus about one seventh larger than 
Staten Island, New York (723 square miles). St. Thomas is 13 miles 
long, 4 miles wide, with an area, including its islets, of some 32 square 
miles; St. Jan is 9 miles long, about 5 miles wide, with an area, in- 
