THE HEATHER IN AMERICA. 



circumstances which seem to warrant its reception 

 henceforth as a true native of that island. At the 

 late sale of the Linnaean Society's collections in Lon- 

 don, in November, 1863, I bought a parcel of speci- 

 mens, which was endorsed outside: 'A collection of 



dried plants from Newfoundland, collected by 



McCormack, Esq., and presented to Mr. David Don.' 

 The specimens were old, and greatly damaged by in- 

 sects. Apparently they had been left in the rough, 

 as originally received from the collector; being in 

 mingled layers between a scanty supply of paper, and 

 almost all of them unlabeled. Among these speci- 

 mens were two flowerless branches of the true Cal- 

 luna vulgaris, about six inches long, quite identical 

 with the common heath of our British moors. Fortu- 

 nately, a label did accompany these two specimens, 

 which runs thus: 'Head of St. Mary's Bay Tre- 

 passey Bay, also very abundant S. E. of Newfound- 

 land, considerable tracts of it.' The name 'Erica 

 vulgaris' has been added on the label in a different 

 handwriting. All the other species in the parcel (or 

 nearly all) have been recorded from Newfoundland, 

 so that there appeared no cause for doubt respect- 

 ing the Calluna itself. And, moreover, the collector 

 had seemingly some idea that a special interest would 

 attach to the Calluna, since in this instance he gave 

 its special locality, and also added two other locali- 

 ties on the label. But there is very likely some mis- 

 take in the name of the donor to Mr. Don. It is be- 

 lieved by Sir William Hooker that he was the same 

 Mr. W. E. Cormack whose name is frequently cited 

 40 



