82 Dr Lauder Lindsay on the Flora of Iceland. 
such topics as the present and former so-called “forests” of 
Iceland—the present or former state of its agriculture or 
garden-culture—its “‘ Surturbrand” and fossil Flora—the eco- 
nomic uses of its common plants by the natives—the drift 
timber from America and the West Indies—the peculiar 
influence on its vegetation of the Gulf-stream and polar-1ce— 
of the climate and geology—the geographical distribution of 
its plants, or the relations of the Flora to that of different parts 
of the European and American continents, or of the British 
Islands, the Fardes, &c. Nor do I here touch upon topics 
to which my attention was more especially directed in Iceland, 
such as all points bearing on the natural history of Icelandic 
Lichens. These, and other subjects relating to the Flora of 
Iceland, I leave for exposition on a future occasion, when I 
may have had an opportunity of improving or extending my 
knowledge thereof by further visits to and explorations of 
Iceland—when I may therefore be able to speak more from 
personal information than I can at present do. 
The botanical traveller in Iceland is at once struck by the 
strong general resemblance between the Flora of Iceland and 
that of Britain, especially that of Scotland; and this impression 
is confirmed by the fact, that out of the 426 phanerogams men- 
tioned in my list, only 72, while of the 437 eryptogams only 15, 
are not British. As might be expected from its latitude and 
climate, however, the number of species in Iceland, especially 
of phanerogams, is greatly less than in Britain. But the great 
peculiarity of Icelandic vegetation, as contrasted with that of 
Scotland, appeared to me to consist in the distribution of many 
of the Icelandic plants. In Iceland, the rarest Scotch alpines 
are found at, or slightly above the sea-level, bestrewing the 
deserts; and they are among the commonest plants of the 
country. No plant, for example, did I find so common as 
Silene acaulis, which was in beautiful flower ; and none, it may 
be observed, strikes tourists so much. It is abundant on the 
road between Reykjavik and the Geysers—the excursion, 
which of all others in Iceland never fails to be ‘‘done” by the 
tourist. The plant grows where almost no other phanero- 
gam is usually found; and its red flowers render it con- 
spicuous. While galloping from Reykjavik to the LaxAé or 
