Mr. R. B. Hinds on Geographic Butimy. 17 



no difference ; if no unfriendly ag-ents were at hand the soil was 

 covered with plants. It seems highly pr()l)al)le that plants like 

 animals arc furnished with constitutions, having a nice perception 

 of external circumstances, and though the inquiry assumes a mi- 

 croscopic tendency, we do not despair of discovering some veiy 

 interesting facts, when a minute incpiiry shall be instituted on 

 the state of the different regions of al])ine vegetation and the in- 

 fluences under which they flourish. On the other hand, if plants 

 were diffused from one or more mountain-chains, the inquiry 

 would end totally un])roductivc. Those circumstances which tend 

 to establish the pi-esent view may be advantageously considered 

 in detail. 



1. The authority of the sacred writings. — The language of the 

 Bible is brief, but there is no reason for limiting its meaning ; the 

 earth is stated, and why should not the whole earth be received ? 

 as bringing forth herbs and trees. That omnipotence which could 

 call life into existence and cluster it around one centre was equally 

 capable of spreading it over the whole earth. 



2. The ])hysical impediments presented by the distribution of 

 land and water to the diffusion of species. — Since man has been 

 an inhabitant of the globe, the changes in the relation of the seas 

 and continents have been trifling, no event ha\ing occurred to 

 disturb it ; as they were at the creation they may be looked on 

 as being now. That this disposition is such as powei-fully to limit 

 vegetation we shall presently see. Linnaeus rested his hypothesis 

 chiefly on the facilities, as he supposed, with which plants can 

 be dispersed. He called to mind the great number of seeds and 

 seed-vessels fm'nished with appendages presenting surfaces to the 

 winds, and it must be acknowledged that the number of plants 

 which nature has provided with organs for the diffusion of their 

 seeds is very considerable. Nor can it be denied for an instant that 

 Erigeron canudense was spread over Europe in every probability 

 by the winds, assisted by the favourable structure of its seed- 

 vessel ; and next it may stand the fact, that Canna indica, though 

 unprovided with any suitable organization, has been found a na- 

 tive alike of Asia, Africa and America. These how ever are but 

 casualties, instances of departure from a general law, the excep- 

 tions which give birth to a rule ; they are not the models repre- 

 senting the diffusion of species generally. There is every reason 

 to suppose that the surface over which these plants are spread is 

 confined, in spite of their highly favourable organization. It has 

 often appeared to me, that birds, tliovigh fm-nished with such 

 admirable organs for rapid locomotion, are very local in their 

 habits. Every sportsman is acquainted with this circumstance, 

 and is influenced by it in his search for game. If birds then 

 with great locomotive powers are confined \a ithin restricted limits, 



Ann. b; Mag. N. Hist. Vol. xv. (' 



