262 
ISLAND LIFE. 
[part ji. 
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 ($ apindus saponaria) 
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 
Sisyrinchium, 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 ( Juniperus barhadensis ) 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 
