FLORA OF DALMATIA. TT 
the end of April, and on the Dinara aud Biocovo sometimes 
even till late in May. Storms are very rare in general; they 
are most frequent in February and March, but never in the 
hot months. The temprature, during the prevalence of the 
Bora, varies rapidly from 10? to 15? ; otherwise the evenings 
are moist and cool. Clouds are much attracted by the moun- 
tains; but the weather is clear on the coast and the islands, 
and I never remember to have seen either a fog or snow on 
the shore. From these circumstances, the vegetation always 
maintains its peculiar character. The great prevalence of 
thorny shrubs and prickly plants is remarked by every one 
who visits Dalmatia: they area continual annoyance anda hind- 
rance to one's progress. Rhamnus Paliurus, and Rubus cesius, 
with Punica Granatum, Rosa spinosissima, Lycium Europeum, 
and Smilax aspera, grow intermingled, and surround all the 
fields like hedges, presenting a barrier which would be almost 
impenetrable to an army of soldiers. Wo to him who should 
endeavour to scale this formidable rampart! On the ground, 
the traveller is impeded by the rough and prickly Echium pus- 
tulatum, Spartium spinosum, Acanthus spinosissimus, Echinops 
Ritro, Asparagus acutifolius, Buphthalmum spinosum, Cappa- 
rts spinosa, 3 species of Eryngium, Carlina acanthifolia, Eu- 
Phorbia spinosa, Juncus acutus, 3 Junipers, Cactus Opuntia, 
Onosma stellulatum, Serratula arvensis, Echinophora spinosa, 
Onopordon Illyricum, Centaurea solstitialis, Carthamus lana- 
tus and tinctorius, Scolymus Hispanicus, and Xanthium Itali- 
cum. These wound the passenger at every step, and particu- 
larly during the summer, when they are dry, render many 
districts quite impassable: —would he find a resting-place, the 
Weary man must lie or sit down on a bed of thorns, rendered 
still more intolerable by the number of insects that they har- 
bour. There are no, properly speaking, alpine plants in. 
Dalmatia, but subalpine ones on the Vellebit, the Dinara, and 
the Biocovo, as Senecio Doronicum, Achillea Clavenne, Sedum 
stellatum, Draba lasiocarpa, Saxifraga rotundifolia and re- 
panda, Androsace villosa, Gentiana verna, Primula spathulata, 
&c.; the latter is the only species of Primula, though P, 
