12 H. G. SIMMONS. [SEC. ARCT. EXP. FRAM 



as could be taken besides the indispensable outfit, I think the fact that 

 many specimens came into the hands of the editor without references 

 to the special locality, must be accounted for by the circumstances of 

 the retreat. 



That DURAND, who was entrusted with the treatment of these valu- 

 able collections, was by no means able to do it in a satisfactory man- 

 ner is clearly shown, both by the many evidently wrong identifications 

 in his paper which have since caused many wrong statements to be 

 made about the distribution and range of different plants, and false 

 conclusions to be based upon them by later authors and also by the 

 curious theoretical speculations which he has inserted in the introduc- 

 tion to his list. I have tried to make as much use as possible of his 

 indications about the occurrence of the different plants, as also of the 

 remarks to be found in KANE'S own journal; but in many cases I have 

 been obliged to take refuge in more conjecture based upon my know- 

 ledge about the plants that may be really meant, or the occurrence of 

 which is probable. Where that has not been possible, for instance where 

 the record may equally well be referred to one species as to another, 

 I have preferred to leave it quite out of consideration. KANE'S collec- 

 tions and notes also form the first contribution of the botany of the 

 region north of the Humboldt Glacier. 



The collections brought home by HAYES from his expedition in 

 1860 61, were also treated by DURAND. His list of the plants, collec- 

 ted for the greater part in Port Foulke, but some also in other points 

 of the N. W. Greenland coast or in Ellesmereland, has already been 

 criticized by other authors, especially MALMGREN (Grinnell. Fl.) and NAT- 

 HORST (N. W. Gronl.). Besides the evidently wrong statements based 

 upon mistakes in identification of species, there are also other more or 

 less doubtfull points about the Enum. pi. Smith S., especially, that the 

 dates and localities given there, disagree in several points with the jour- 

 nal of HAYES. According to DURAND, all the plants were collected in 

 1861, none during the autumn of 1860, and at the following places in 

 the following order: 



July (15th specially mentioned) and August : Port Foulke 

 12th 4th: Netlik 



27th and 29th: Gale Point (Ellesmereland) 

 28th : Cape Isabella 



Sept. 4th : Tessiussak. 



