104 BULLETIN OF THE 



showing the same percentage in all of the four floras now under 

 comparison. The Salicaceaz are largely in excess of every flora 

 compared in the table, except that of Essex county, Massachusetts, 

 while Onagracece and Saxifragacew both fall below the normal, the 

 latter, however, showing a southern tendency. The Naiadacece are 

 southern, as are also the Polemoniacece l while the Chenopodiaceoe are 

 slightly in excess in their degree of representation. 



Now, as this locality has been classed as northern, we should not 

 expect to find it occupying an intermediate position, which would 

 place it on the boundary line between the northern and the southern 

 flora, but we should expect to find it agreeing closely with the 

 northern flora, or at least lying midway statistically, as it does 

 geographically, between the dividing line or medium, represented 

 by the total eastern flora and the northern flora. So far is this from 

 being the case, however, that we actually find it occupyiug a position 

 considerably below the medium line, and between this and the line 

 of the southern flora; a position which would be geographically 

 represented by the latitude of Nashville or Raleigh, or even by 

 Memphis or Chattanooga. 



This result is very remarkable, and while the proofs from statis- 

 tics are, perhaps, not alone to be relied upon, it serves to confirm 

 many facts recorded which have puzzled the observers of the 

 phenomena of the vegetable kingdom in this locality. 



The results of the careful comparison of the two remaining 

 columns need not be here summed up, as the reader will readily 

 perceive their general import, and he will not be likely to stop with 

 considering the relations of the local flora with those of the far 

 West, but will probably seek for more general laws governing the 

 vegetation of the eastern and western sections, as we have already 

 done to some extent for the northern and southern sections. 



Abundant Species. 



It was Humboldt who remarked that of the three great Kingdoms 

 of Nature, the Mineral, the Vegetable, and the Animal, it is the 

 Vegetable which contributes most to give character to a landscape. 

 This is very true, and it is also true, that botanists rarely take ac- 

 count of this fact. The latter are always interested in the relative 

 numbers of species belonging to different Classes, Families, and 

 Genera, rather than to the mere superficial aspect of the vege- 



