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]oi)i'osentc(l in Abyssinia by a closely allied form. 

 P^roni Abyssinia to Kilimanjaro Luzula spicata ' had 

 to travel a long distance ; but it is not impossible 

 that it either still exists or has existed previously 

 on a few of the high mountains between Abyssinia 

 and Kenia, from which, having advanced to the 

 Kilimanjaro, it again produced new forms.... At any 

 rate, it is impossible to do without distribution of 

 seeds of alpine plants by air-currents or by birds 

 from one mountain to the other in explaining the 

 history of distribution '(is). 



The majority of British plants are identical with 

 species in Central and Northern Europe : of these, 

 some are among the most Avidely spread English 

 species, e.g. the Daisy and Primrose, while others, 

 such as the Oxlip {Prinvda elathr), are confined to 

 the Eastern counties, and others, such as the Cheddar 

 Pink {Dlanthus caesius), are restricted to Western 

 counties. 



Before considering a small section of the British 

 flora which is the most interesting from the point of 

 view of origin, a short digression may be allowed in 

 order to call attention to the importance of a branch 

 of science which Darwin spoke of as 'that grand 

 subject, that almost keystone of the laws of creation, 

 geographical distribution,' and in 1847 referred to 

 as ' that noble subject of which we as yet but dimly 

 see the full bearing.' It was largely as the results 



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