18 



to the Alpine Flora of Scandinavia. As we have seen, this 

 depends for its derivation upon other causes than any barrier 

 connection between Norway and Britain, and is evidently to be 

 referred to the glacial epoch, when the mountains of Scotland, 

 N. England, and Wales, were hilly or low-lying islands in an icy 

 sea, connected by other groups now submerged, with Norway, 

 whence the plants now found towards their summits were trans- 

 ported. 5. A Germanic Flora, forming the general vegetation 

 of the British Isles, which is identical with that of Central and 

 Western Europe, giving a general character to the vegetation of 

 these countries, as well as to that of our own. Its introduction 

 was effected on the upheaval of the bed of the glacial ocean, and 

 the consequent connection of England with Germany on the one 

 hand, and with Ireland on the other by means of extensive plains, 

 the fragments of which still exist. Over these the plants of 

 which it is composed, and which form our most recent indig- 

 enous flora, were transmitted, in all probability, as we believe, at 

 three different climatal periods, adapted respectively for the 

 introduction in such order of the Scottish or more northern, the 

 British or general, and the English or more southern types of 

 this flora. 



As to the geological epochs at wh ch these different floras 

 were introduced, we may consider them as commencing towards 

 the end of the Eocene period, with the Asturian, which is > pro- 

 bably, but a fragment of the vegetation of the true Atlantic, 

 and extending to the post-tertiary period, when the present 

 aspect of things was organized and the Germanic^type found 

 a firm footing in the country. Hence we may take it for 

 granted that all our indigenous flowering plants found a home in 

 Great Britain and Ireland, before the formation of the Straits 

 of Dover, and of the Irish Sea, as now existing. With a greater 

 orless expanse of water then surrounding them on every side, 

 and effectually separating them from the neighbouring lands, 



