251 



found on title-page, cover, or folio-headings, and it is only from 

 the "Word of Introduction" by Professor Conway MacMillan 

 and from an advertising circular that one may infer that no " Year 

 Book" was published in 1903, 1904, and 1905, and that the 

 present volume constitutes the second of the series. This volume, 

 like the earlier, contains seven essays, the first of which is by C. 

 O. Rosendahl and is entitled " Observations on Plant Distribution 

 in Renfrew District of Vancouver Island." The rainfall at Port 

 Renfrew in 1902 was 300 cm. and the author estimates that 275 

 cm. may not be far from the yearly average, indicating that " the 

 place is one of the rainiest in temperate North America." The 

 great amount of rain, combined with the mildness of the winters, 

 induces a luxuriant vegetation and one of much biological interest. 

 The plant associations are first discussed under three general 

 heads: I. Marine formations ; II. Formations of the beach ; III. 

 Formations of the forest country ; then follows a list, including 

 18 species of Pteridophyta, 10 species of Gymnospermaeand 222 

 species of Angiospermae (79 monocotyledons and 143 dicotyle- 

 dons). The author summarizes the main conclusions drawn from 

 the study as follows : {a) " That the pteridophytic flora is poor 

 in number of species for a region showing almost tropical condi- 

 tions as regards moisture, yet shows great density and profusion ; " 

 (/;) " That the gymnospermous flora forms the all-important group 

 and constitutes the great mass of the island vegetation " ; (c) 

 " That of the two classes of angiosperms the monocotyledons 

 •occupy a more important position than the dicotyledons. * * * 

 In conclusion, it can be said in general that the flora of Van- 

 couver Island, in so far as it can be judged by observations con- 

 fined to a limited area of the same, is typically boreal, with an 

 admixture of more arctic forms than the latitude, the elevation 

 above sea-level, and present climatic conditions would indicate." 

 Some errors in writing or proof-reading, such as '' Plantago 

 macrocarpiim, " StacJiys ciliatiis" " Monotropa hypopytis," and 

 *' Boschniakia strobilaceae, " and certain peculiarities in biblio- 

 graphic citation detract a little from the literary merits of Dr. 

 Rosendahl's interesting paper. 



The second essay is on "The Conifers of Vancouver Island" 



