10 90 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



270 miles S.E. of Iceland, and 360 miles west of Norway ; their collective area 

 is about 480 square miles ; their surface is mountainous ; and they support 

 a population of 15,000. The flora is very closely related to that of Scotland, 

 the nearest land ; less nearly to the Scandinavian flora ; and least to that of 

 Iceland. This appears from the thorough investigations in recent years of 

 Danish botanists, whose results have been published in a volume of over a 

 thousand pages. 1 In this volume the origin of the vegetation is discussed first 

 by Ostenfeld and afterwards by Warming ; and it is interesting, as showing 

 the difficulties involved, to find that while Ostenfeld believes that the flora 

 migrated over a former land-bridge, Warming holds that over-sea migration 

 is responsible for it. 



As regards the age of the flora, both writers consider that it is post- 

 Glacial. This decision follows from the presumption that the whole of the 

 flora was destroyed during the Glacial Period. 2 They also agree that dispersal 

 by sea has been ineffective, Ostenfeld pointing out that a strong extension of 

 the Gulf Stream, coming from the open Atlantic, flows between the Faeroes 

 and Scotland, effectually cutting off dispersal from the latter country, and 

 bringing nothing but an occasional West Indian fruit. " The ocean currents 

 in these parts," he concludes, " are of no consequence whatever in the matter 

 in question " (p. 116). As regards birds, also, both authorities maintain that 

 they likewise have been ineffective. Evidence is given that the migratory 

 flight of birds over the Faeroes is not considerable ; and an extensive series of 

 observations in Denmark, involving thousands of migrants, shows that the 

 birds migrate on empty stomachs, and are almost always clean externally 

 when they travel. 



There is left the wind ; and the choice lies between this and a former 

 land-bridge. Warming expresses the view that the wind is responsible for 

 the introduction of almost the whole flora; while Ostenfeld prefers the alter- 

 native. We need not consider here the geological evidence, but may say that 

 valuable testimony is adduced both in favour of and against the hypothesis of 

 a post-Glacial land-connexion. But turning to the botanical evidence, 

 Ostenfeld bases his conclusions on the non-efficacy of the wind. The direction 

 of the wind at the Faeroes, in percentages for the year, is : — 



N. NE. E. SE. S. SW. W. H¥. CALM. 



12 14 8 10 10 17 13 5 11 



1 Botany of the Faeroes, based upon Danish investigations, 1901-1908. 



2 On the possibility of the survival of at least part of the flora of northern areas during the 

 Ice Age, see Schakff : On the Origin of the European Fauna. Proc. E. I. Acad., (3) iv, pp. 488, 

 489. 1897. 



