ST. JOHN: SABLE ISLAND. 37 
the species collected, many could not be positively identified even by 
so able a botanist as Dr. N. L. Britton of Columbia College, who was 
kind enough to make the attempt for me and to furnish the scientific 
names. * * * The blueberry bushes were blossoming the second 
week in June, many of the tiny sprigs trailing in the sand, partly cov- 
ered by it, and the leaf buds of the rose bushes were little more than 
half unfolded." This short quotation will give a hint of the con- 
dition of the vegetation and Dr. Dwight's interest in it. He sa\'s' 
"my specimens show that not less than forty species occur." "I* 
make no pretense to a complete enumeration of the plants of Sable 
Island, for reasons given, but those that I have mentioned are among 
the most conspicuous and characteristic of its flora, which resembles 
in many respects that of the adjacent mainland." 
He mentions several species that have been cultivated, and also 
some that were presumably introduced, but to him appeared so thor- 
oughly naturalized that they were hard to distinguish from the nat- 
ive ones. To quote his own words^: "Timothy {Phleum yraiense L.) 
and Red-top Grass {Agrostis alba vulgaris With.), as well as Red Clo- 
ver (Trifolitim praiense L.), have been cultivated near the stations, 
and White Clover {T. rcpcns L.) is frequently met with, but man's 
influence has been at work on the island for so many centuries that it 
is almost impossible to draw the line between indigenous species, if 
such there be, and those artificially introduced. * * * Before 
my departure nearly the whole surface had acquired a visibly greener 
tinge with here and there the ruddy glow of blossoming Sorrel {Riimex 
Acetosella L.) while such weeds as the Beach Pea {Lathyrus maritiinus 
(L.)), Everlasting {Gnaphalium sp.?), and Meadow-rue (r/m/idri/?/i 
sp.?) were becoming conspicuous." 
It is quite true as Dr. Dwight says, that some of the introduced 
species have made themselves thoroughly at home on the island, but 
the writer in no case had any difficulty in deciding whether or not a 
plant was a nati\'e. Tn'foUum rcjjcns is frequent on the island, par- 
ticularly on the dry sands near the Life Saving Stations and along the 
shores of the adjacent ponds where the cattle and the domesticated 
ponies browse continually. It does not occur in the remoter parts of 
1 Dwight, I. c. 13. 
2 Dwight, I. c. 14. 
» Dwight, l. c. 12. 
