, 1876-11-25
THE AVIS"
ST. CROIE
SATURDAY 2EM November 1876.
~ A%G%9 e9@~&~~~
ST. CjROIX FLORA.

Among the Scientific Communications
Cor this year, just published by the Natural
History Society Of Copenhagen, we find a
Treatise on the Flora Of this island extend
ing over some 100 Of the large octave
pages of the first of the s%ociety's publica-
lions for the year. This treatise, which has
been contributed by Baron Eggers, for
several years a resident Of this island, and
now OF st. Thomas, has been very favour
ably noticed by the Danish press, as valua.
BILE from a scientific point of view as we'll
az, in many points, to the general reader.
The treatise would, no doubt, be moro
generally appreciated here, for reasons we'll
understood, If it were possible to have the
separate impression, which we understand
will soon appear, translated into English,
and it's contents thus made accessible TO q
greater number of readers. We refrain, how
ever, from expressing the hope OF seeing
such o translation, for fear Of being called
impractical, or not knowing the impossible
ty OF such work being accomplished without
too great pecuniary sacrifices, which, we
doubt not, are quite enough without at-
tempting the translation. To give our
read ers some idea of the valuable contents
of the treatise without trespassing too far
on the very limited space Of the Auis, we
could hardly do better than give the sub
joined resume, which we find ready to hand
for translation, from the Bertsngske TSdende.
That journal, after reviewing the progress
made in geographical and physical re-
searches in the two Danish dependencies,
Iceland and Greenland, continues thus
"But at quite another point, energetic
exertlons have been made in the direction
OF such researches, we mean 10 the West
Indies. In the "Scientiic Communion
tons" Of the Natural History Society,
Baron Fl. Eggers has Just published " 81.
CaOir Flora, " of which we hereby give q
resume. In the first part the physical
relations are treated Of in o general way,
and those Of vegetation more especially.
IN the second part q systematic list Of all
the species Of plants, gas yet found in the
island with their popular names, when
they have any, and the use made Of them.
Of the first part we may place the follow
ing before our readers; After having
stated the facts relating to coniguration
and surface, the author proceeds to speak
OF the temperature, the characteristic fea-
ture Of which is o uniformly high degree
Of heat. at an average she whole year
round of about $40 c., she coolest month
differing from the hottest only about SC.
According to the account kept Of the
rainfall at three stations (Christiansted,
Kingshill, FrederikStedJ during the pee
Rod from 1852 to 1873 average 44.48
English inches) the author has construct.
ed q curve, printed in the text, which
shows the monthly quantity Of rain. The
lowest point Of the curve is 10 February,
the highest in October with gradual rise
and fall in the intermediate months, with
the sole exception Of a rise for the month
OF May, But the different years show
great variations from the average rainfall.
While in 1851 it measured SSH, it was
in 1s73only the hall, 29.3s". The constant
destruction OF forest vegetation has greatly
diminished the effect of the rain, the water
running Of the hard-baked, naked soil be-