262 



ISLAND LIFE. 



[part it. 



undistinguished series. It appears too, that the late Governor, 

 Major-General Lefroy, ''has sown and distributed throughout 

 the islands packets of seeds from Kew, representing no less than 

 600 species, principally of trees and shrubs suited to sandy 

 coast soils " — so that it will be more than ever difficult in 

 future years to distinguish the indigenous from the introduced 

 vegetation. 



From the researches of Dr. Rein and Mr. Moseley there 

 appear to be about 250 flowering plants in a wild state, and of 

 these Mr. Moseley thinks less than half are indigenous. The 

 majority are tropical and West Indian, while others are common 

 to the Southern States of North America; the former class 

 having been largely brought by means of the Gulf Stream, the 

 latter by the agency of birds or by winds. Mr. Jones tells us 

 that the currents bring numberless objects animate and inani- 

 mate from the Carribean Sea, including the seeds of trees, 

 shrubs, and other plants, which are continually cast ashore and 

 sometimes vegetate. The soap-berry tree (Sapiiidus sapoiiaria) 

 has been actually observed to originate in this way. 



Professor Oliver informs me that he knows of no undoubtedly 

 distinct species of flowering plants peculiar to Bermuda, though 

 there are some local forms of continental species, — instancing 

 Sisyrincliium, Bermudianum and Rhus toxicodendron. There are 

 however, two ferns — an Adiantum and a Nephrodium, which 

 are unknown from any other locality, and this renders it pro- 

 bable that some of the flowering plants are also peculiar. The 

 juniper, which is so conspicuous a feature of the islands, is said 

 to be a West Indian species (J uniperus tarhadensis) found in 

 Jamaica and the Bahamas, not the North American red cedar ; 

 but there seems to be still some doubt about this common plant. 



Mr. Moseley, who visited Bermuda in the Challenger, has well 

 explained the probable origin of the vegetation. The large 

 number of West Indian plants is no doubt due to the Gulf 

 Stream and constant surface drift of warm water in this direc- 

 tion, while others have been brought by the annual cyclones 

 which sweep over the intervening ocean. The great number of 

 American migratory birds, including large flocks of the American 

 golden plover, with ducks and other aquatic species, no doubt 



