_Flora of Bermuda._--Unfortunately no good account of the plants of these
islands has yet been published. Mr. {272} Jones, in his paper "On the
Vegetation of the Bermudas" gives a list of no less than 480 species of
flowering plants; but this number includes all the culinary plants,
fruit-trees, and garden flowers, as well as all the ornamental trees and
shrubs from various parts of the world which have been introduced, mixed up
with the European and American weeds that have come with agricultural or
garden seeds, and the really indigenous plants, in one 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 inanimate 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 (_Sapindus saponaria_)
has been actually observed to originate in this way.

The only _species_ of flowering plant peculiar to Bermuda is _Carex
Bermudiana_ (Hemsley), which is said to be allied to a species found only
in St. Helena; but there are some local forms of continental species, among
which are _Sisyrinchium Bermudianum_ and a variety of _Rhus toxicodendron_.
There are, however, two ferns--an Adiantum and a Nephrodium, which are
unknown from any other locality. The juniper, which is so conspicuous a
feature of the islands, is said to be a West Indian species (_Juniperus
barbadensis_) found in Jamaica and the Bahamas, not the North American red
{273} 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