or 





368 PK. LATJDEK LIKDSAT OX TItE 



striking peculiarity as contrasted witli the lichen-flora of Scot- 

 land or Norway. The geological basis of the district includes the 

 following roclis, which for the most part constituted the habitats 

 of saxicolous species ; while the soil resulting from their disinte- 

 gration and decomposition supported, directly or indirectly, the 

 terricolous and nniscicolous forms: — viz. lavas, trachytes, basalts, 

 porphyries, and amygdaloids*. 



My Fiiroese list is the produce of a single day's collection in j 



the immediate vicinity of the capital, Thorsliavn. The localities 

 and habitats visited or examined were chiefly the walls of the 

 houses and gardens of the town, the rocks on the coast about the 

 fort, and the rocks and boulders of the hills behind the town up 

 to about 500 feet. The dominant rock was a basaltic porphyry, 

 or porphyritic basalt. 



My Norwegian excursions extended over about a fortnight ; and 

 tbeir centre point was Jerkin (459 i feet), in the midst of the 

 Dovrefjeld range of mountains, on the flauks of SneehattcD, which 

 I also ascended to its summit (7G20 to 7714 feetf). I had after- 

 wards the pleasure and advantage in Christiauia of meeting the 

 late Professor Blytt, who favoured me not only Avitli inlerestin 

 dctads regarding the rarer lichens of the DovrcQeld, but with 

 specimens of some thereof from his herbarium. He regarded 

 Kongsvold as the best station for head quarters in tbe collection 

 of the alpine lichens of Norway ; and he comj)lained of the general 

 habit of foreign botanists of selecting Jerkin in preference. In 

 other words, while foreigners generally select the saddle or soidliern 

 side thereof as their botanizing head quarters in the Dovrefjeld, 

 local botanists have found the northern side much more rich and 

 prolific. Doubtless the selection of Jerkin by English and conti- 

 nental botanists has been determined on from the testimony of maps 

 and guide books, which show that this favourite station has the 

 superior advantages of greater elevation (4594 feet) as contrasted 

 with Fogstuen on the southern declivity of the saddle of the moun- 

 tain-range (3150), and Kongsvold on its northern side (3063), 

 greater proximity to Sneehiitten (which, notwithstanding its in- 



* A fuller account of the geology of the district will be found in the follow- 

 ing papers by the autlior .—1. " On the Eruption in May 18G0 of the Kotlugja 

 Volcano, Iceland," with Map, Edinb. New Philo30i)h. Journal, January 1861. 

 2. '* Contributions to the Natural History of Volcanic Phenomena and Products 

 in Iceland," Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, December 17, 1860. 



t According to different estimates : 7620, Keith Johnston's Maps, 1861 ; 

 7714, Murray's Handbook, 1849. Second in height only to Skagstolstind, 

 which, as given by Keith Johnston (1861), is 8670 feet. 



