119 
is also conspicuous at this season by its golden-coloured 
flowers, throwing its long pliant arms for support over every 
shrub. In a waste cane-piece, below Pallmer's Hut, we met 
with a rather rare species of Pennywort, (Hydrocotyle erecta.) 
The Samyda glabrata is very common, filling the air at this 
season with the perfume of its short-lived flowers. 
Journeying on, we crossed the Bog Walk River, which, 
passing out of the Vale through a ravine, assumes, near 
Spanish Town, the name of Rio Cobre. Even here, in body 
of water, it far exceeds the greater number of our Jamaica 
streams. It takes its origin in the mountains of Clarendon, 
passes through the Vale of Linda in St. Johns, till it reaches 
Swansea Estate, where it sinks, to re-appear; after a subter- 
ranean course of two or three miles, at River-Head Estate, 
in St. Thomas in the Vale. Few tropical rivers abound more 
in fish. On its margins we observed that solitary, yet grace- 
ful bird, the Egret, (Ardea Egretta.) 
At the works of Byebrooke Estate, the Musk Ochra, ( Hibis- 
cus Abelmoschus,) was remarked, growing wild. Passing on, we 
reached the Savannah where the church stands. ‘The land 
here is marshy: the prevailing grass is the Wire-Grass, (Pa- 
nicum strictum,) disliked by the cattle. Scarcely any shrub 
is to be seen but the Cocoa Plum, (Chrysobalanus Icaco,) and 
the Coccoloba diversifolia. An occasional individual of the 
Mucca-Palm (Cocos fusiformis) might be observed, towering 
above its humbler neighbours. On the road-side, we gathered 
Specimens of those rather rare plants, Buchnera elongata, 
Hedysarum diphyllum, Habenaria brachyceratites, Riedleria 
serrata, and a species of Melastoma, of which we could find 
pastures, the Jamaica Marygold, (Silphium trilobatum,) is also 
present here. In many parts of the Island, especially in the 
wet districts, this plant is so luxuriant as to take possession 
4 of whole pastures, being what is considered a weed in the 
eye of the pen-keeper. — — iain cease SN 
- In the Vale itself, as in all spots which have been long in 
cultivation, there are few objects to engage the notice of 
the Naturalist, whose richest banquets are spread in the remote 
"t€ 
