484 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
de Janeiro, Ochropters pallens (the old Adiantum pallens) 
Polypodium crinitum, and several other species. The beau- 
tiful Callipteris prolifera, Cyathea excelsa et canaliculata, 
both tall tree ferns, several fine kinds of Asplenium, one of 
them A. macrophyllum, a small Trichomanes, several species 
of the different sections of Aspidium, a Lomaria, two simple- 
leaved kinds of Acrostichum, a Vittaria, &c. The flowering 
plants which I met with here were the following: Taberne- 
monta Mauritiana, a Gertnera in fruit, Rubus ros@folius, 
which is indeed common everywhere, even to the tops of the 
mountains, but which is said to have been introduced from 
Java by Commerson, two species of Erythrospermum, Dryopeia 
oppositifolia, Bletia sylvatica, Cynorchis fastigiata, Dracena 
Mauritiana, Adenostemma Mauritiana, &c. The upper part 
of the mountain is very much peaked, has a vegetation 
quite another cast, but very few of the plants were in flower. 
They are mostly shrubs from two to three feet high. The 
following are such as I have been able to determine: à 
Salaxis, Distephanus populifolius, Gnaphalium multicaule, 
Lam., Cylindrocline Commersonii, a Prockia, Geniostoma 
parvifolia, Boj. &c. The herbaceous plants which I found 
here were a Gnaphalium, an Hypozis, a Mariscus, and Rott- 
bellia complanata, which grows everywhere, from the sea 
level to the summit of the mountain. cam 
On this excursion I was only accompanied by one m 
fellow passengers. The day was one of the finest that 0% — 
curred during our stay in the Mauritius, and we had conse- ue 
quently from the summit of the mountain a view of th 3 
greater part of the island. The country inland presents à c 
vast valley, quite flat; and about from eight to ten miles in = 
diameter, surrounded on all sides by high mountains. H : 
all others of volcanic origin, these are very | E 
peaked. One of them is the celebrated Pieter Both. - M : 
Lesson has well observed, that the great valley above men- 
tioned has evidently at one period formed the basin of an 
immense crater, and that the mountains which surround it 
constituted its walls. The first sight of it evident]; 
