1855.] Science in Canada. 517 



six are peculiar (so far as is yet known) to Upper Canada. Five 

 species, viz. Struthiopteris Gernianica, Plananthus lucidulus, Lyco- 

 podium complanatnni, Salvinia natans, and Equisetum scirpoides are 

 common to Canada and to Continental Europe, but are not found in the 

 British Islands. In speaking of Equisetum, Dr. Lawson remarks on 

 the great value of E. limosum and of E. arvense as fodder plants ; 

 on the Western prairies, horses are said to get " rolling fat " on 

 equisetum in ten days. With regard to the habitats of Canadian 

 ferns, Mr. McCord remarks that more than half of the Lower 

 Canadian ferns are inhabitauts of moist tracts, being found either in 

 open meadows or in swamps ; the remainder grow upon rocks with 

 little moisture, as Woodsia Ilvensis, Cystopteris fragilis (occa- 

 sionally), and Allosorus gracilis ; or upon rocky positions but re- 

 quiring moisture, as Asplenium trichomanes : in the latter case they 

 suffer during dry seasons. 



Calluna vulgaris, the common British ling or heather, has been 

 found in Cape Breton. It had previously been noticed in the south- 

 east peninsula of Newfoundland, and in Massachusetts. These with 

 Greenland (according to Giesecke) form the only known localities of 

 this plant in America. 



Geographical distribution of Canadian plants. Mr. A. T. Drummond, 

 B.A., LL.B., contributes to the ' Canadian Naturalist ' a valuable 

 paper on Canadian Geographical Botany. He distributes the plants 

 hitherto found, into five groups, excluding in his enumeration mosses, 

 lichens, and lower forms. The groups are thus distinguished : — 

 I. Canadian type — Species generally distributed through the whole or 

 greater part of the province. II. Erie type — Species chiefly restricted 

 to the district bordering Lake Erie. III. Superior type — Species only 

 found about Lake Huron and Superior, and most of which have 

 evidently migrated from the country watered by the Sashatchewan. 

 IV. Maritime type— Species confined to the seashore. V. Alpine type 

 — Species chiefly known, at present, to occur about the north-eastern 

 borders of the province. The English botanist will be interested in 

 observing the relation held by the various groups to the flora familiar 

 to him ; and we have therefore made a comparison between Mr, 

 Drummond's lists and the accepted lists of British plants. 



I. Canadian type. — The list includes fifty-two species belonging 

 to forty-five genera. Of the genera thirty-eight are represented in 

 Britain. Of the species twelve are British, viz. Kanunculus repens, 

 Caltha palustris, Nasturtium palustre, Drosera rotundifolia, Lathyrus 

 palustris, Epilobium angustifolium, Linntea borealis, Menyanthes 

 trifoliata, Equisetum sylvaticum, E. arvense, Polypodium vulgare, 

 and Asplenium filix-fasmina. There are also the semi-British 

 Impatiens fulva and Antennaria margaritacea. The natural orders 

 best represented are Bosaceaa and Ericaceas amongst the larger, and 

 Coniferse and Betulaceas amongst the smaller orders. 



II. Erie type. — Genera forty-two, species forty-eight, of which are. 

 British — genera seventeen, species, none. The forests bordering Lake 

 Erie have abundance of 'beech (Fagus ferruginea), sugar-inaple (Acer 

 saccharinum), oak (Quercus rubra, Q. macrocarpa, and Q. alba), and 



