HISTORY OF PLANTS. 380 
the shore got food enough, and grew plentifully. 
This appears to be the true origin of salt-springs, 
and explains why in their neighbourhocd the plants . 
‘of the sea shore are met with. We find stil in the 
centre of the continent near salt-springs the fol- 
lowing maritime plants, which occur in no other 
place, viz. Salicornia berbacea ; Poa distans ; Plan- 
tago maritima, subulata ; Glaux maritima ; Samolus 
Valerandi; Aster Tripolium; acris, and many others. 
§ 355. 
Most probably the continent was formed in the 
manner just now described. ‘The different products 
of sea, lying on the shore, were buried deeper by 
the constant play of the waves, which here and there 
even raised hills of not inconsiderable size, which 
hills perhaps in time, in proportion to the earths 
mixed with them, and, according to circumstances, 
became a hard lapideous mass. After this, during 
a long series of years, the continent rose in its pre- 
sent form, violent gales of wind, and the violence 
of other furiously ragine elements, volcanoes, and 
the like, again tore large masses from it, formed 
islands, or carried whole masses of that kind with 
their productions into remote regions. Vhus per- 
haps many of the exotic natural productions in our 
climates were buried in the ground, which we now 
_ find in solid rocks, in petrefactions or impressions. 
That the currents in the ocean can convey natural 
productions to very distant parts of the globe, ex- 
perience shews us. For many seeds of West Indian 
plants are still thrown on the shores of Norway. 
Bb But 
