Chap, i.] SEEDS CARRIED BY BIRDS. 21 



caves. One of the largest of these is at the mouth of Paynter's 

 Vale Cave. This hollow is sheltered from the sun by its steep 

 walls, and is hence constantly shady and moist. It is a natural 

 fernery, fifteen species of ferns being found within its small 

 compass, two of them occurring nowhere else in the islands. 

 Wild coffee trees thrive amongst the ferns in the hollow. The 

 plants of Bermuda, which are of West Indian origin, were 

 transported thither, probably, as Grisebach* states, by the Gulf 

 Stream, or general drift of heated surface water in this direction. 

 Others may have travelled with the cyclones which pass 

 constantly from the West Indies in the direction of Bermuda, 

 and sometimes reach the island. There are no winds blowing 

 directly from the American coast which would be likely to 

 carry seeds, the anticyclones taking a different direction. It is, 

 however, probable that the occurrence of American plants in 

 the islands is connected with the fact that the islands are 

 visited from time to time by immense numbers of migratory 

 birds from that continent, especially during their great southern 

 migration. 



Of these the American Golden Plover {Charadrius marinor- 

 atus) seems to visit Bermuda in the greatest numbers, but 

 various other birds, frequenting marshes, Gallinules, Rails and 

 Snipes, arrive in no small quantities every year. These birds 

 have probably brought a good many plants to Bermuda, as 

 seeds attached to their feet or feathers, or in their crops. The 

 seed used for the onion crops in Bermuda is all imported 

 yearly, mostly from Madeira, and the potato seed is brought 

 from the United States. Various seeds cannot fail to reach 

 the island with these imports, and the constant importation of 

 hay must have led to the introduction of many more. 



Shipwrecks furnish additions to the flora occasionally. A 

 vessel laden with grapes was wrecked on the coast a short time 

 ago. The boxes of grapes were washed ashore, and the grape 

 seeds germinated in abundance, so that Sir J. H. Lefroy was 

 able to gather a number of small plants for his garden. 



The only export of the Bermudas is vegetables — potatoes, 

 onions and tomatoes. These are said to be the best in the 

 world, and they reach New York very early in the season, and 

 command a very high price. The " Mudians " are, however, 

 so lazy that they do not grow enough potatoes for home con- 

 sumption, and at the time of our visit to the islands, at the 

 same time that new potatoes were being exported to New 

 York, large quantities of the former year's American crop were 

 being imported in the returning steamers. 



* A. Grisebach, " Die Vegetation der Erde." Leipzig, 1872. 2te Bd. 

 II. S..454- 



