| Comparison with 1859 |
|
of
dry argillaceous earth from one
foot of a partridge, and in this
earth there was a pebble quite
as large as the seed of a vetch. ↑| 1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866; present in 1869 1872 | | Here is a better case: the leg of a woodcock was sent to me by a friend, with a little cake of dry earth attached to the shank, weighing only nine grains; and this contained a seed of the toad-rush (Juncus bufonius) which germinated and flowered.
|
| 3 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861; present in 1866 1869 1872 | | I will give one case:— Mr.
Newton sent me the leg of a red-legged partridge (Caccabis rufa) which had been wounded and could not fly;
round the wounded leg and foot
a ball of hard earth had collected, and this when removed weighed
six and a half ounces.
This
earth had been kept for three years, but when broken, watered and placed under a bell glass, no less than 82 plants sprung up
from it: these consisted of 12
monocotyledons, including the common oat, and at least one kind of grass, and of 70 dicotyledons, which included,
judging from the young leaves, at
least three distinct species.
With such facts before us, can we doubt that the many birds which are annually blown by gales across great spaces of ocean, and which annually migrate— for instance, the millions of quails across the Mediterranean— must occasionally transport a few seeds embedded in dirt adhering to their feet?
|
|
|
| As icebergs are known to be sometimes loaded with earth and stones, and have even carried brushwood, bones, and the nest of a land-bird, I
can hardly doubt
that they must occasionally
have
transported seeds from one part to another of the arctic and antarctic
regions,
as suggested by Lyell;
and during the Glacial period from one part of the now temperate regions to another. In the Azores, from the large number of the species of
plants common to Europe, in comparison with the plants of other oceanic islands
nearer to the mainland, and (as remarked by Mr. H. C. Watson) from the
somewhat northern character of the flora
in comparison with the latitude, I suspected that these islands had been partly stocked by ice-borne seeds, during the Glacial epoch. At my request Sir C. Lyell wrote to M.
Hartung to inquire whether he had observed erratic boulders on these islands, and he answered that he had found large fragments of granite and other rocks, which do not occur in the archipelago. Hence we may safely infer that icebergs formerly landed their rocky burthens on the shores of these mid-ocean islands, and it is at least possible that they may have brought thither the
seeds of northern plants. |
|
| Considering that the
several above
means of transport, and that several
other means, which without
|
of | of 1859 1860 |
| and in another case twenty-two grains of 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| one 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | the 1872 |
| this 1859 1860 | | the 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| quite 1859 1860 1861 1866 | quite 1869 1872 |
| 1 blocks not present in 1859 1860 1861 1866; present in 1869 1872 | | Here is a better case: the leg of a woodcock was sent to me by a friend, with a little cake of dry earth attached to the shank, weighing only nine grains; and this contained a seed of the toad-rush (Juncus bufonius) which germinated and flowered.
|
| everywhere 1859 1860 1861 | | every-where 1866 |
| presently 1859 1860 1861 1866 | presently 1869 1872 |
|
|
As icebergs are known to be sometimes loaded with earth and stones, and have even carried brushwood, bones, and the nest of a land-bird,
I | I 1859 1860 | | it 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| doubt 1859 1860 | | be doubted 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| occasionally 1859 1860 1861 | | occasionally, 1866 1869 1872 |
| have 1859 1860 1861 |
| as suggested by Lyell, have 1866 1869 1872 |
| antarctic 1859 1860 1861 1866 1872 | | antaretic 1869 |
| regions, 1859 1860 1861 | | regions; 1866 1869 1872 |
| as suggested by Lyell; 1859 1860 1861 |
| OMIT 1866 1869 1872 |
| the species of 1859 1860 1861 |
| OMIT 1866 1869 1872 |
| plants of other oceanic islands 1859 1860 1861 |
| species in the other Atlantic islands which stand 1866 |
| species in the other islands of the Atlantic, which stand 1869 |
| species on the other islands of the Atlantic, which stand 1872 |
| the 1859 1860 1861 | | their 1866 1869 1872 |
| of the flora 1859 1860 1861 |
| OMIT 1866 1869 1872 |
| M. 1859 1860 1861 1869 1872 | | Mr. 1866 |
| the 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 | | some few 1872 |
|
|
Considering that
the | the 1859 1860 | | these 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| above 1859 1860 | above 1861 1866 1869 1872 |
| several 1859 1860 1861 1866 | several 1869 1872 |
|
