7° 



[Proc. B.N.F.C.,. 



century, had so largely contributed to our knowledge of local 

 botany. 



Rev. Canon Lett opened a discussion on the paper and 

 invited the opinion of the audience upon the interesting points 

 the lecturer had raised. 



Mr. Charles Oldham said that while Mr. Praeger had explained 

 some of the problems with which they had to deal, many still 

 remained unexplained in his opinion. He asked Mr. Praeger if 

 Eriocaulon septangular e and Spiranihes Romanzoffiana were 

 isolated examples or were there other species with a similar distri- 

 bution ; also if there was any possibility of an alien such as 

 Matricaria discoidea destroying the native species. 



Mr. Reginald A. Smith followed, and referring to the Ice Age 

 he stated that he did not agree with Mr. Clement Reid as to the 

 severity of the climate during the Ice Age. He asked Mr. Praeger 

 if he thought the origin of the flora was pre-Glacial, and also what 

 was his opinion on the North American land-bridge ? 



Mr. Harry Beeston asked for an explanation of the resem- 

 blance of the S. W. English flora and that of Kerry and the west 

 of Ireland, also why were the Cornish Heaths not found in 

 Ireland, and vice-versa ? 



Mr. R. J. Welch raised several points of interest connected 

 with the theory that the Gulf Stream had at one time been 

 diverted, and asked Mr. Praeger what effect he thought this would 

 have on the flora and fauna of Ireland. 



Mr. J. R. B. Masefield spoke of the necessity of preserving 

 the rare species of our flora from extinction, and of the work that 

 had been done in this direction in England and elsewhere. 



Mr. A. S. Kennard said that the distribution of the Snail, 

 Helix hortensis, was an enigma. Why did it go to North America ? 

 Many species appeared to have crossed to America by the Behring 

 Straits route but not so Helix hortensis. Mr. Kennard referred 

 also to the resemblance between certain British and North 

 American Eocene species. 



