NOTES ON THE FLORA OP HAMILTON, 287 



Marsh, from tlie east wind; and as they are sheltered by the Mountain 

 from all other breezes except the west wind, and even in many parts 

 from that, they offer many exceptionally favourable localities for rare 

 plants. Unfortunately, the advance of cultivation and the ravages 

 of cattle have destroyed much of the original vegetation, but even 

 yet its shores offer some rare plants to the collector. 



It will be evident from the preceding description that if plants 

 occur at Hamilton which do not occur at some other locality in the 

 Province where the soil is equally suitable for their growth, that 

 their occurrence at Hamilton must depend either on the shelter they 

 are able to find or upon climate. Indeed, the first reason resolves 

 itself on examination into the second, for shelter influences climate. 

 With the view of ascertaining what is peculiar in the climate of 

 Hamilton, and particularly what the influence of the Great Lakes on 

 it is, I have instituted a comparison between it and that of Belleville, 

 based on the meteorological records which have been kept in both 

 places for the last eight years. I would have preferred, for purposes 

 comparison, some place more remote from the Great Lakes, such as 

 Cornwall, Pembroke or Montreal; but though the meteorology of 

 these places has been investigated, I could not obtain a complete 

 account of their flora. On the contrary. Prof. Macoun, of Belleville, 

 whose knowledge of Canadian plants far exceeds that of any other 

 man I have ever met, has been so kind as to furnish me with a list 

 of the plants occurring in the Counties of Hastings and Prince 

 Edward, which is probably complete, and the accessibility of this 

 source of information has decided me in favour of Belleville. 



Belleville is 55' further north, and 2° 32' further east, than Ham- 

 ilton. The height of the two places above the level of the sea is 

 nearly the same, and the heights of the points at which the observa- 

 1 tions have been taken are 308 feet in the case of Belleville, 325 in 

 the case of Hamilton. Both towns are situated on arms of the Lake, 

 ' and the soil in their immediate vicinity must be veiy similar, as in 

 [ both cases calcareous rocks crop out in the neighbourhood, lacustrine 

 j deposits occur along the shores, and Erie clay further back. But 

 'Hamilton lies in a comparatively confined valley, Belleville in an 

 open one, and Hamilton is nearer the main body of Lake Ontario 

 than Belleville. The former place, lying as it does nearer all the 

 Great Lakes than the latter, must be less continental in its climate — 

 1 that is, the range of the thermometer must be less. 



