THE GLACIAL RANGE CONTRACTION, ETC. 137 



forbids such a line of extension. Professor Geikie 

 {Pre/nstonc Europe, pp. 51 1-5 13) very rightly remarks 

 that " the Scandinavian type in tlie British Isles, as is 

 well known, attains its greatest development in the 

 Scottish Highlands. It is less well represented in the 

 southern uplands of Scotland, the hilly districts of 

 Cumberland, and the Welsh mountains, while Ireland 

 shows a very meagre assemblage of alpine and sub- 

 alpine forms. The Germanic type, on the other hand, 

 is everywhere present, overspreading the other floras 

 and giving a general character to the vegetation." As 

 the late Mr. Forbes wrote : " Its scarcer forms are of 

 much interest, from the clear manner in which they 

 mark the progress of the flora and the line it took in 

 its advance westwards. Thus we find a number of 

 species which are still limited to the eastern counties of 

 England, while others, which have extended over con- 

 siderable tracts or into several districts of England or 

 Scotland, have not found their way to Ireland. It is 

 remarkable that certain species of this flora which 

 flourish best on limestone . . . are not found in the 

 limestone districts of Ireland, and in like manner cer- 

 tain species which everywhere, when found, delight in 

 sand . . . are also wanting in such Irish localities as 

 are best adapted for them. The fauna which accom- 

 panies this flora presents the same peculiarities, and 

 diminishes towards the north and west. This is very 

 observable both among the native vertebrate and 

 invertebrate animals. Thus, among quadrupeds the 

 mole, the squirrel, the dormouse, the polecat, and the 

 hare {Lepns tiviidiis) are confined to the English side 

 of St. Georges Channel, not to mention smaller quad- 



