592 
Sinnott and Bailey . — The Origin and 
earlier than was that along the Andes is indicated by the fact that the 
northern genera which are absent in South America (and which therefore 
must have entered Australia from Asia) have no species identical with 
those in the north temperate zone. 
The European element in the flora of South Africa comprises at least 
60 genera of north temperate plants, and has evidently attained its present 
extension by migration along the African highlands at a time when 
opportunities for immigration were somewhat better than at present. That 
this invasion, also, was earlier than that along the Andes is shown by the 
fact that, although the genera are still European, very few of the species 
have preserved their identity. The fact that so many northern genera are 
present in the uplands of Madagascar would seem to prove that this island 
was recently much more closely connected with the highlands of Africa than 
at present ; but that this connexion was never continuous enough for the 
migration of land animals is rendered probable by the strict confinement to 
Madagascar of most of its characteristic fauna. 
G. The Ancient Flora of Antarctica . 
Since the presence of a considerably extended Antarctic continent, able 
to support a rich vegetation, is necessary to account for the distribution of 
palaearctic plants in the Antipodes, it is worth our while to discover, as far 
as we may, the character and composition of its ‘endemic ’ flora. It seems 
to be a reasonably safe conclusion that all genera commonly designated as 
‘ Antarctic ’ from their confinement to the temperate regions of the southern 
hemisphere, were inhabitants of the ancient Antarctic continent. The 
writers have compiled a list of 36 genera of Dicotyledons which occur 
or have representative types in the three main Antarctic regions — Australia 3 
New Zealand, and temperate South America — and which possess but very 
few species outside these two regions. This list may well be regarded 
as fairly representative of the flora of Antarctica before the advent of 
the cold period which drove the phanerogamic vegetation northward into 
South America and Australasia. Of these 36 genera, only 15 are typically 
herbaceous, or 41 per cent. If we include in the flora of Antarctica the 
52 genera which are confined at present only to Australia and New 
Zealand, and which at one time in all probability flourished on the Polar 
continent, the list of Antarctic dicotyledonous genera is increased to 88, and 
of these only 34, or 38 per cent, are typically herbaceous. Such a prepon- 
derance of woody forms in a region which was gradually being subjected to 
refrigeration is remarkable. Practically all the herbaceous plants in this 
flora are at present alpine forms. It seems altogether probable that they 
were developed comparatively recently as an adaptation to extreme winter 
conditions, just as were the herbs in Arctic regions, but that even they were 
