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GAMBLE IN THE K. OF SPAIX. 121 



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apparently to little profit, divided by banks adorned with a few 

 bushes — a sort of rudimentary hedge. Here I procured Tragopch 

 gon crocifolius^ whose flowers, half yellow and half purple, were 

 very conspicuous j Achillea noUlis^ Senecio JDoronicum^ and Thapsia 

 villosa just coming into flower ; S^rvyrnium perfoliatvm, Jrenaria 

 gTandifiorajMoj^iBtrum rvgosuniy Hypericum hyssopifolium,Coronilla 

 coronatUj Vicia onohrychoides^ Teucrium PoUwrty Stachys Heraclea^ 

 another Stachys, whose name I have not determined, which re- 

 sembles 8. recta in habit, but is suflSciently distinguished by its 

 numerous flowers (15 to 20 in a whorl), and by the floral leaves 

 all exceeding the flowers ; Sideritis scordioides, Salvia jEtMopiu^ 

 Cynoglossvm cJieirifolium, Aristolochia rotunda^ Asphodelus ramO" 



sus, Am urn 



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roseum^ and JSchinaria capitata, A variety of Genista 

 hispanica with soft spines, Fruniis Mahaleh, Arenaria montana^ 

 Geranitmi sylvaticum^ Trollius europcetis, Bihes grossularia with 

 fruit hardly larger than a currant, Grepis paludosa^ and Pinguicula 

 grandiflora^ grow on some hills a little farther to the south, where 

 there is an ancient wood of oak and beech. Some of the trees are 

 very large, but the best have been lately cut down for the use of 

 the railroad. 



There is a morning train from Reinosa at half-past six, reaching 

 Pozazal at six minutes past seven, returning in the evening by 

 that place at thirty-one minutes past eight, and arriving at Eeinosa 

 at nine. A botanist may therefore very conveniently fix his head- 

 quarters at Eeinosa to visit the neighbourhood of Pozazal; or even 

 of the two following stations, where I did not stop, and where, as 



railroad 



The 



station for Aguilar is about two miles from the town ; but this, 

 with its picturesque castle and varied neighbourhood, would seem 

 to be well worth a visit, perhaps a lengthened one, especially if 

 the botanist should be tempted to visit some very bold snowy and 



^^^ggy mountains 



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Spanish 



(untry. I did not attempt to scale any 



mountain ; but the Sierras Albas, which are visible trom about 

 Santander, always retaining a considerable body of snow, and 

 those still more abrupt ones behind Aguilar, cannot but ofier a 

 number of interesting plants. . Moimtaius said to be still more 

 lofty occur farther west, in the Asturias 



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About two miles from the station at Aguikr, on emerging from 

 a very short tunnel, we find a village called Villa Escusa. Unfor- 

 tunately the train does not stop there ; but I was indebted to 



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