BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 347 



in tending to confine his attention to the showy and super- 

 ficial, to the exclusion of the solid, in the objects of his 

 pursuit. I must in justice add, that he appears perfectly 

 amiable and kind-hearted, and that his moral character is 

 such as to command universal respect. 



After a glance at Gaston's herbarium, we set out, at his 

 recommendation to ascend the low mountain (la Montagne 

 Verte) which lies between Bages and Les Eaux- Bonnes. In 

 ascending we gathered fine specimens of Arnica montana, 

 Vicia Orobus, DC, Cardamine latifolia, Cochlearia sascatilis 

 var. auriculata, Orthotrichum Hutchinsim and Ludivigii ; and 

 the summit was carpetted with Genista pilosa and the pretty 

 Trifolium alpinum, the long woody root of which is chewed 

 by the shepherds of the Pyrenees under the name of reglisse 

 (liquorice). In descending by a different route, I gathered 

 Mastigobryum defleocum, Lecidea ventosa, Biatora rivulosa, &c. 

 My most interesting herborisation in this neighbourhood 

 was made on the Pic de Ger, a mountain of about 8000 feet 

 in height, which overlooks the Eaux-Bonnes. I ascended 

 l |s as far as practicable for the snow, on Monday the 

 30th of June, in company with Pierre Gaston. We had 

 arranged to make the attempt two days previously, but the 

 morning looked cloudy and threatening, and Gaston was 

 wise enough to stay at home ; for myself, I went as far as 

 the Eaux-Bonnes ; and, except gathering Euphorbia verru- 

 cosa and Alchemilla alpina, all 1 got for my pains was a 

 thorough soaking. I was besieged by a party of guides in 

 the street of the Eaux-Bonnes, who would fain have per- 

 suaded me to engage the services of one of them to ascend 

 the mountain, telling me that there was only " un peu de 

 hrouillard" which would shortly pass away, although it was 

 at the time raining nearly as fast as it could pour. On the 

 Monday, the weather was everything that could be desired, 

 with the exception of a burning sun which rendered the 

 ascent very toilsome, especially to me, for I was not then 

 s u inured to climbing as I afterwards became. We followed a 

 ^teep track made by the charcoal burners and shepherds, along 



