26 INTRODUCTION. 



It is interesting also to notice what does not appear, as 

 well as what does appear in this Catalogue. It was once 

 said, indeed, that the flora of Mt. Desert was more 

 remarkable for what it did not include than for what it 

 did, a statement that our present knowledge of the 

 flora hardly seems to justify Yet there are many impor- 

 tant gaps in the Catalogue that it is hard to account for in 

 any satisfactory manner. It can only be said that for 

 some reason or other these missing plants do not occur on 

 this part of the coast, or, in cases where they do occur on 

 the adjacent mainland, that they never were able to cross 

 the water to Mt. Desert Island. It is certain that the 

 latitude is not the cause, for these plants are found much 

 farther north. Doubtless the cold east winds and the sea 

 fogs may have driven back many plants trying to effect a 

 lodgment here ; but in that case there should be a marked 

 difference between the flora of the exposed southern and 

 eastern coasts, and that of the northwestern, central, and 

 northern parts of the Island. A study of the Catalogue 

 will show that there is some such difference, but not so 

 marked, we think, that it can be relied on as evidence to 

 any very great extent. It proves, however, that no one 

 can be well acquainted with the flora until he has studied 

 carefully the plants of the country lying north of the main 

 granitic belt, as well as those of the better known and 

 more frequented parts of the Island. 



It may be interesting to mention some cases of these 

 missing plants. The Pulse Family, Leguminosce, will fur- 

 nish a striking instance. The Catalogue shows that the 

 Island flora contains only eighteen species, representing 

 eight genera, obviously a very insufficient representation 

 when we consider that shown by many points farther north 

 with otherwise much the same flora. Of these species, ten 



