I shall here confine myself to plants.

In botanical works, this or that plant is often stated to be ill adapted for wide dissemination; but the greater or less facilities for transport across the sea may be said to be almost wholly unknown.

Until I tried, with Mr.

Berkeley's aid, a few experiments, it was not even known how far seeds could resist the injurious action of sea-water.

To my surprise I found that out of eighty-seven kinds, sixty- four germinated after an immersion of twenty-eight days, and a few survived an immersion of 137 days.