36G 
OAPT. MARKHAM AT FORT CHURCHILL, ETC. 
current flowed up Davis Straits, and a compensating cold current 
l^oured down past Spitsbergen and the Fteroes, impinging on the 
coast of Norway, and reducing its climate to the cold now found 
on tlie coast of Labrador, would not their remains present to the 
men of that time almost as puzzling a problem for solution as the 
fossil remains of the Miocene Epoch do to ourselves. 
It is impossible to show to-night the whole of the plants 
collected. I choose for exhibition the three which are known to 
grow furthest north, in fact on the most northern land yet reached 
by any Arctic explorers, they are : — 
Saxifraga oppositifolia, traced to lat. 83-8 N. 
PaPAVBR NUDICAULE, 
Alopecurus 
)1CAULE, I 
ALPINUS, J 
Among the plants from West Digges Island I found adhering to 
the drying papers two Eed Mites, these I sent to Mr. A. D. Michael, 
who most kindly examined them, and considers them to belong to 
the Genus Culigonus (or liaphigncdhus, according to whose nomen- 
clature you adopt), “but he does not think it possible to identify 
the species. In the year 1871, however, Thorell described a 
species which he called Rhagidia gelida, from two sjDeciraens 
found by Holmgren at Eeeren Island. I strongly suspect this 
to have been your species, which seems likely.” 
There are a few Mosses and Lichens among these plants which 
Mr. E. M. Holmes has named for me; they are — from Chnrchill, 
a Brijum and Glagdonia rangiferina, and from West Digges 
Island, a Bnjum, Racomitrum lanuginosmn and Tortula ruralis, 
also Cetraria nivcdis or cucullata. 
I have to thank my kind friend, Mr. Arthur Bennett of 
Croydon, for going through these collections and giving me the 
benefit of his notes upon them ; Messrs. Britten and Bidley, of the 
British Museum, for naming many of the plants ; and above all 
]Mr. J. G. Baker, who allowed me to compare all the specimens 
which remained doubtful with those in the Herbarium at Kew. I 
have also to thank Professor Macoun for his great kindness in 
sending me his list of Canadian Plants in parts as published. 
