61 
on the banks of the Brenda near Padua, but that river after 
rains comes down absolutely white in its turbid state. It is 
very abundant in the meadows of the beautiful valley of the 
Ticino, under the calcareous rocks. On the northern side of 
the St. Gothard it paints the valley of the Reuss; becoming 
less abundant on approaching the lake of Lucerne,. and 
beyond Lucerne it disappears. A very little below Lucerne 
a considerable river, of which I forget the name, falls in from 
the left; and after heavy rains, while the Reuss flows on clear 
and blue, the turbid yellow water of the subsidiary river 
continues below the junction unmixed, and occupying per- 
haps a third or a quarter of the whole breadth. The Salvia 
has disappeared, as well as a blue Phyteuma, which had been 
seen above the lake of Lucerne, and a dirty white Phyteuma 
has started up abundantly by the hedge sides. . Traversing 
the rich country, through which the yellow river runs, we 
see no Salvia pratensis; but within ten miles of Berne here 
and there a plant reappears, and nearer to Berne, as we 
approach the Aar, it becomes more abundant; and, follow- 
ing the course of that river up to Thun, we find it again 
painting the meadows. The Aar, like the Reuss and Ticino, 
is a clear river from the calcareous Alps. From these obser- 
vations, 1 conceive that this beautiful plant would thrive, 
where there is a sufficiency of calcareous matter, in the 
meadows of this country.” — W. Herbert. 
64. ORCHIS sambucina. 
“The only marked distinction between the beautiful yellow 
and white Orchis sambucina of the Alps and Orchis 
provincialis is, that the latter has the tubers undivided, and 
the former belongs to the division which has palmate tubers, 
sambucina having short prominences at its base. In colour, 
fragrance, and the habit of growing on parts of high moun- 
tains where the soil is blackish and where the clouds fre- 
quently rest, they agree perfectly. Having cultivated Orchis 
fusca in a large pot of strong alluvial soil, mixed with a little 
pulverized chalk, (the pot being plunged. in sand, and the 
tubers set about three inches and a half under the surface), 
I examined the state of the new tubers this morning, as the 
leaves had died entirely away. The new tubers of those 
which had survived the winter frosts were large, and of the 
September. K 
