100 REPORT—1868. 
to the move or less fayourableness of the climatic condition of the new stations of 
the introduced plants. After fully discussing these results, the author puts forward 
his views in the following propositions :— 
During two periods of prolonged and intimate intercourse between the northern 
coast of Spain and the whole of Ireland, the conditions for bringing the seeds of 
various plants into the latter country from the former probably existed ; and during 
the more recent of these periods, the existence of such trading and fishing inter- 
course between Spain and the Asturian districts of Ireland is so well established, 
and was of such a kind as to render the introduction of accidental seeds almost cer- 
tain. Such seeds as required a warmer climate than that of Ireland for their ger- 
mination necessarily failed, while those which were suited to the physical conditions 
into which they were thrown became naturalized. The winter isothermals, and 
the corresponding distribution of minimum temperature, confined the range of these 
plants to the two narrow littoral districts where they are found. The cold and wet 
summers which often exist in Ireland would speedily destroy such annuals as hap- 
ened to be introduced from the warmer summer climate of the North of Spain ; 
ut a few of the perennials might still continue to exist, owing to the favourable 
conditions of winter temperature in the West of Ireland. 
The author briefly discussed the grounds which we possess for believing in a for- 
mer intercourse between Spain and Ireland at a very remote epoch; and he examines, 
with great minuteness and detail, the evidence of such intercourse during a more 
modern period. It appears that from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries in- 
clusive, the west and south-west of Ireland were in close communication with the 
ports of Biscay and Asturias. Local histories and traditions, popular poetry, and 
unpublished documents were referred to in support of this conclusion; and it ap- 
ears that many of the stations of the Asturian flora, where plants are actually 
ound, were also trading or fishing stations of Asturian or Biscayan mariners. 
Tn the two instances where names in the Irish language had been ascertained for 
the Asturian plants, these names, in the opinion of Celtic scholars, clearly indicate 
the introduction of the plants from foreign countries. It is also remarkable that 
one of the plants of the Asturian flora has been observed in other parts of Europe— 
namely, Belgium and the islands off the coast of Friesland, districts where the 
Spaniards had considerable intercourse before the Netherlands had finally achieved 
their independence. The winter climate of the Netherlands was probably not suf- 
ficiently favourable to the development of the other plants belonging to the Astu- 
rian flora, and these are therefore confined to those parts of Ireland where all 
the physical and social causes favouring their growth have long existed in a suf- 
ficiently high degree of intensity. 
On the Wellingtonia gigantea, with remarks on its Form and Rate of Growth, 
as compared with the Cedrus Libani. By Joun Hoce, M.A., F._RS., PLS, 
The author commenced his paper with a brief historical notice of the discovery 
of this magnificent North-west American tree by Mr. Whitehead in June 1850, in 
the Calaveras Grove in California. 
This grove is situated in a sloping valley on the mountain-ridge between the South 
Antonio branch of the Calaveras, and the north fork of the Stanislaus Rivers, in 
lat. 38° N., and long. 120° 10’ W., at an elevation of 4370 feet above the Pacific. 
Having traced the subsequent and fuller accounts of the finding of more of these 
immense evergreen conifers, by Messrs. Dowd and Lewis, Mr. ‘Hoes enumerated 
some of the largest trees, and gave their dimensions, which are to be seen in the 
Calaveras Grove, to which he assigned the title of the “ Original Grove.” One of 
these, called the “ Father of the Forest,” measured 110 feet in circumference at the 
ground, and about 435 feet in height. It was shown that other trees of great size 
were also found in Crane Flat in Calaveras county, on one of the tributaries of the 
Big Creek, on an upper branch of the Frezno River, and in the Maripora Grove, 
between the Big Creek and the Marced. Also it appeared that in the year 1857 
Mr. Clark came upon two smaller groves of the same splendid tree. And more re- 
ae an eighth and larger grove was noticed about twelve miles east of the Frezno 
rove, 
das, 
