JONES ON THE VEGETATION OF THE BERMUDAS. 241 



and render the more elevated districts arid and waste. The clim- 

 ate of the Bermudas is, therefore, not favourable to the growth ot 

 plants during summer as a rule, and it is only in the cool season 

 that any luxuriance of flower or foliage can be observed. 



The origin of plant life upon the Bermudas, is a question not 

 very difficult of solution, after a careful consideration of facts 

 accruing from the continued observations of several years. The 

 islands are greatly influenced by the current of the Gulf Stream, 

 which brings to their shores numberless objects, animate and 

 inanimate, from the Caribbean Sea. Among such we may instance 

 the seeds of trees, shrubs and plants, which are continually 

 being cast ashore ; while the occurrence of several forms, even 

 forest trees, just above high water mark, go far to prove their 

 drift origin. The hard seeds of the Leguminosse seem especially 

 adapted to withstand immersion in salt water for a length of time, 

 and the fact of this order being better represented than any other 

 favours the presumption. But although several leguminous seeds 

 germinate on the Bermudas, there are some commonly cast ashore 

 which do not ; such are the seeds of Entada scandens, and Mucu- 

 na urens, which have never yet grown on the islands, notwithstan- 

 ding their seeds are frequently landed near the trailing stems of 

 Cayiavalia ohtusifolia. Probably the sandy soil of the beach is 

 unsuited to these species, which appear to grow on ^river banks in 

 the West Indian Islands. 



Many of the European weeds have doubtless been introduced at 

 the first settlement of the islands, when several consignments of 

 field and garden seeds were, according to old records, forwarded by 

 the original *' Bermuda Company" of London. Seeds in those 

 days were probably often carelessly gathered, and often mixed with 

 those of the weeds growing with them. As to the origin of the 

 cedar tree, which appears from time immemorial to have been the 

 principal feature of the Bermudas, it is somewhat perplexing. 

 Griesbach has carefully determined it as Juniperus harhadensis, 

 which is a true West Indian form ; whereas it has always hitherto 

 been taken for a variety of J, virginiana, which is found through- 

 out eastern North America. Had it been the latter species we 

 should at once have instanced the cedar waxwing (BombyciUa 



