MR. H. N. MOBELEY ON TEE VEQETATXON OF BERMUDA. 317

tiom-verhiiltnisse der Bermudaa-Inseln," containing an enume- ration of the marine algae. These include 109 species, of which 23 are Melanospermes, 60 Rhodospermes, and 36 Chloro- spermeje.

The marine Phanerogams were sent to Dr. Ascherson ; the following is an extract from his note upon them.

Berlin, June 25,1873.

As to the Halophila, there can be no doubt that the flowers, unknown to me hitherto, will prove it to be a congener of H. ovalis, from which, however, it differs specifically in its serrulate leaves.

W e have in our collection a very imperfect specimen sent by Prof. Balbis, under the name of Xevpicola quadrvolia. +ti 'I do not know any publication where the name is quoted, and have called the plant Halophila Baillonis, because 1 got the first complete, though barren, specimens from Prof. Baillon (" Martinique, leg. Hahn ").

This plant was found half a century ago by Bertero.

4

11. Notes on the Vegetation of Bermuda. Naturalist to H.M.S. ' Challenger '.

By H. N. MOSELEY,

[ h d Dec. 18, 1873.1

THE terrestrial vegetation of the islands divides itself over five principal stations, each of which has a flora more or less peculiar to itself. These are :-the coast-line with its littoral flora ; the peat-bogs or marshes ; the shallow brackish ponds ; the caves ; and the remaining general land surface.

The coast is either rocky, presenting an irregular surface of weathered calcareous sandstone, or sandy, the sand being blown up into heaps or dunes covering extensive tracts. Abundantly along the whole coast-line occur two low shrubs. One, a Com- posite (Borrkhia) with a yellow flower, occurs in two forms : in one the thick succulent leaves are bright green and shining ; in the other they are glaucous and downy. The two varieties grow side by side, and contrast strikingly with each other. Occasion- ally examples of the two different leaf-form are to be found on

318

separate branches of the same bush. With the Composite OCCUTS

another bush (rOwrnefortia paphalodes, B. Br.) with downy leaves and white flower. With these are associated three trailing succulent plants, only one of which, Sesumum, wm obtained in flower ; another, of which the fruit was procured (Ipmceapes- caproe, Sw.) has a convolvulus-like flower ; and the third, not met with a t d, is said to have a papilionaceous flower.

A small Euphorbiaceous plant (Euphorbia h w ~ o l i a , Lam.) with a peculiar symmetrical arrangement of the leaves on the stalk, grows in abundance in crevices of the rock ; and a succulent plant (Xalicornia mbigua, Mich.), which doe0 not flower till July, grows on the very verge of the waves. A Tamarisk (l? gallia, L.) and a shrub with hard round woody fruit (Conoeavus mectus, Jacq.) are common. On the sand dunes the plant which acts as the principal binding weed is a hard prickly grass (Cenchw), with pinkish inflorescence and long deeply penetrating root- fibres. A destruction of the binding weeds leads at once to an encroachment of the sand. A crucifer (Cakle oepwlis, L’H6r.) is abundaut, and also a shrub (Scmola) with succulent glassy leaves and irregular flowers. Beside the Mangrove-swamps are other swamps resembling them clwely in appearance, but occu- pied by a quite different tree, with a small white flower and greyish leaves (Avicennia).

The peat-bogs or marshes lie in the inland hollows between two ranges of hills, which consist of ancient sand dunes more or lem consolidated into rock. The chief feature of the vegetation of these marshes is formed by the ferns, especially two Osmundas (0. cinnamomea, L., and 0. regalis, L.), which appear to occur in all the marshes in the island, together with Pteris apuilina, L., and several other species ,Of ferns, all of which occur only in the marshes. Some ferns are confined to particular marshes. In some Acrostichum aurwm, L., grows densely and to a height of 4 t o 5 feet. A Sphagnum grows at the base of the ferns, but, not very luxuriantly.. The Junipers thrive in the marshes, and also in many the Palmetto, of which there are two forms, tall and dwarf. A dimcious shrub, Myrica cemyera, L., grows in abundance in the marshes, also Rhwr toxicodm&m. In the water-holes and ditches occur a polygonaceoUR plant (P. acre, H. B. K. P) and a plant with leaves like a Ranunculus but very small flowers almost concealed in the mud (Hyhocotyk repandzcm, Pers.), a trailing plant (Bidzondra repens, Forst.) with small yellow flowem,

XE. H. N. NOBELEY ON THE VEGETATION OF BERMUBA.

MR. H. N. MOSELEY ON THE VEGETATION OF BERMUDA. 319

an Orchid (Spiranthes breviflia, Chap. *), a L m a , and about twelve species of Cyperacea. Nearly all the lichens and fungi obtained in Bermuda were found in the marahes. One lichen, a Cmmyce , is very abundant on the rhizomes of ferns. The peat- water is full of a Cmferva. The peat is mainly composed of the debris of the rhizomes of the ferns and roots of the sedges, especially one very large species (Cladium) ; Sphagnum is not abundant enough to take any great share in its formation. The peat burns well, and haa much the same appearance as ordinary house-peat. The stems of junipers are occasionally found in it in good preservation and larger size than any now,growing in the island. A bed of lignite was found, in excavating for the Ber- muda dock, at a depth of 50 feet, which is evidently the remains of an ancient peat-bog probably overwhelmed by encroachment of sand and then sunk, either by general subsidence of the island or, perhapa, falling-in of some underlying cave.

In some of the valleys and hollows inland occur sheets of shallow water, sometimes.as much as a quarter of a mile long. Several of these are to be met with on the road from Hamilton to Somerset Island. These sheets of water, or ponds, sometimes adjoin a peat-marsh ; but their water is not at all peaty. In the water of several no salt was perceptible to the taste ; but they are said to he salter at certain seasons. In these places grows a Naiadaceous plant (Ruppia), which was found in flower; the male flaaers project just above the surface of the water. The water is full of Conferurn and various microscopic Alga. Around the shores grows a Typha (I: angzcstiflia, L.), oecasionally mangroves, and mar&-ferns, and several sedges. At the en- trances to the caves of Bermuda are found extensive hollows, formed apparently by the falling in of former extensions of the present caves. These hollows are shady and moist, and covered with a luxuriant growth, several specie8 of which are restricted to certain caves a t Paynter’s Vale. Coffee grows wild in these caves, forming trees of considerable size. A Jessamine is a b u - dant about the caves.

The main feature of the general vegetation of the island is, of course, made up of the Juniper. Nearly the whole country which is not cultivated is covered with a dense growth of a Lantana

* This is probably the same aa 8piranths twtilis, Rich., of Dr. Rein’s list. Mr. Moseley’s Bpecimens were identified with Chapman’s plant, which is only known from descriptions and is confined to Florida.

320 MB. H. N. MOBELEP ON THE VEGETATION OF BERMUDA.

(L. camera, Sch.), said to have been introduced from Madeira ; but an Acacia-like plant (fizcccena: glawa, Bth.), with a long tap- root, is considered by General Lefroy a more pernicious weed. The Oleander grows very luxuriantly and is used for hedges. Common Fennel has spread itself and grows all over the islands. Several shrubs and trees are confined to the neighbourhood of Paynter’s Vale, which is the wildest and least-cultivated region, and a t the same time sheltered and moist. It is here that the wild oranges and lemons grow most abundantly. Several of the islands lying isolated in Castle Harbour were visited; but no plants were found on them which had not been observed else- where. In some of the smaller ones vegetation was very scanty, evidently from want of shelter.

On the whole about 160 species of flowering plants were collected in Bermuda. A large number are certainly introduced weeds; and probably not more than 100 are true Bermudan plants.

The plants of Bermuda which are of West-Indian origin were transported thither probably, as Grisebach states, by the Gulf- stream or general drift of heated surface-water in this direction. Others may have travelled with the cyclones which pass con- stantly from the West Indies in the direction of Bermuda and sometimes reach the island. There are no winds blowing directly from the American coast which would be likely to carry seeds- the anticyclones taking a different direction. It is, however, probable that the occurrence of American plants in the island is connected-with the fact that the islands are visited from time to time by immense numbers of migratory birds from that continent, especially during their gTeat southern migration.

The American Golden Plover, Charadrim marmoratus, seems to visit Bermuda in the greatest numbers j but various other birds frequenting marshes (gallinules, rails, and snipes) come in no small quantities every year. These birds have probably brought a good many plants to Bermuda, as seeds attached to their feet or feathers or in the digestive track ; and as the birds which Visit the islands in the greatest numbers are mostly water-birds, it would be of some interest were the Bermuda marsh-plants espe- cially North American.

The seed used for the onion crops in Bermuda is all iiuported yearly, mostly from Madeira ; and the potato seed is brought from the United States.

ME. Ii. N. MOBELEY ON FEEYBWATEE ALQB. 321

Various seeds cannot fail to reach the island with these imports ; and the constant importation of hay must have led to. the intro- duction of many more. Shipwrecks furnish additions to the flora occasionally. A vessel laden with grapes was wrecked on the coast a short time ago. The boxes of grapes were washed ashore ; and the grape-seeds germinated in abundance, so that General Lefroy wa8 able to gather a number of small plants for his garden.

[The determinations of the plants alluded to in Mr. Moseley's notes have been made at the Kew Herbarium. The whole collection included about 162 species, of which 71 belong to the Old World. Dr. Rein's list includes 128 species ; and of these at least 53 are amongst those collected by Mr, Moseley.]

111. Notes on Fresh-water Algae obtained at the Boiling Springs at Furnas, St. Michael's, Azores, and their Neighbourhood. By H. N. MOSELEY, M.A., Naturalibt to H.M.S. ' Challenger.'

[Read April 16, 18'74.1

IN the Report of the Circumnavigation Committee, in the section relating to botany, attention is drawn to the fact that Algae are found in hot springs, and observations on such Algae are requested. Whilst staying at St. Michael's, Azores, I visited Furnas with a large party from H.M.S. ' Challenger.' Here there are two sets of boiling springs, in each of which I found abundance of Algae, some of them growing under remarkable conditions.

In the valley of Furnas there are two distinct sets of hot springs-those at the village of Furnas itself, and others at a dis- tance of two or three miles, situate on the shores of the lake of Furnas. I n both places numerous hot and cold mineral springs discharge themselves through openings of various sizes irregu- larly distributed over an area covered with partly ancient, partly modern, geyser-formation or hot-spring deposit.

At the springs near the lake of Furnas the principal spring consists of a large basin 6lled with bluish water, in the centre of which a violent ebullition is always going on. The water in this basin is intensely hot. The stones at the margin are covered with a red incrustation ; but this ap- pears to be entirely minerd. A short distance from this basin

No Algze were found in it.