Ivi PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



I. The West Irish Flora. — The mountainous districts of the 

 west and south-west of Ireland are characterized by botanical 

 peculiarities, which depend on the presence of a few prolific species 

 of the families Saxifragece, EricacecB, LentibularicBy and CrucifercBy 

 the high lands in the north of Spain being the nearest point on the 

 Continent where these plants are native, especially in the mountains 

 of the Asturias, and the species are all members of families having 

 seeds not well adapted for being wafted through the air across the 

 sea. 



II. The Devon Flora. — In the south-east of Ireland and 

 south-west of England, there is a flora which includes a number 

 of species not elsewhere seen in the British Isles, and which is inti- 

 mately related to that of the Channel Islands and the neighbouring 

 parts of France ; and in the Channel Islands they are associated with 

 a number of plants which are not natives of England or Ireland. 

 In the south-east of Ireland, the number of plants of this Galilean 

 type is greatly diminished, while such as are present are species met 

 with also in the south-west of England. This second flora is accom- 

 panied by terrestrial moUusca of the same climatal stamp. 



III. The Kentish Flora. — In the south-east of England, the 

 vegetation is distinguished by the presence of a number of species 

 common to this district and the opposite coast of France ; and the 

 peculiar character of the entomology and that of the pulmoniferous 

 mollusca, including several species, are intimately connected with 

 this flora. It is evidently derived from the north-western pro- 

 vinces of France. 



IV. The Alpine Flora — The summits of our lofty mountains 

 yield a variety of plants not found elsewhere in the British Islands ; 

 the species of them are most numerous on the Scotch mountains ; 

 they are comparatively rare on those of Cumberland and Wales, 

 diminishing progressively southwards. These alpine plants are all 

 identical with the plants of more northern ranges, as the Scandina- 

 vian Alps, where however there are species associated with therri 

 which have not been found in the British Islands. In Ireland also, 

 a few of these alpine or sub-alpine plants of Scandinavian origin are 

 found. The fauna of our mountain regions, so far as it is developed, 

 bears the same relation to more northern countries, and the absence 

 of peculiar pulmonifera is as good evidence, in the opinion of our 

 author, as the presence of Scandinavian forms of insects. 



V. The General Flora. — This is everywhere present, alone, 

 or in company with the others — is identical as to species with the 

 flora of Central and Western Europe, and may be properly styled 

 Germanic. " Every plant universally distributed in these islands is 

 Germanic ; every quadruped common in England, and not ranging 

 to Ireland or Scotland. The great mass of our pulmoniferous mol- 

 lusca have also come from the same quarter. Certain botanical and 

 zoological peculiarities are presented by the eastern counties of 

 England. In every case we find these to depend on Germanic 

 plants and animals arrested in their range. The number of species 

 of the Germanic type diminishes as we go westwards, and increases 



