HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



171 



of the Schreckhorn for instance, where the limestone 

 is seen lying between gneiss and mica schist. Titlis 

 again may be studied with advantage. (For ex- 

 liaustive details of the literature of this subject, see 

 Dollfus Amuset, Alatcriaux pour rcttidc dt's Glaciers.) 



The descent to Wimmis from Staldenegg is down 

 a ravine between the Betlfluh and the Niesen proper, 

 over the Stalden torrent and along the south slope 

 of the Bergiluh, on the flank of the Niesen, into a 

 gorge which runs parallel to the Simmenthal. Re- 

 freshments are to be had at the lower Stalden chalets, 

 and on the summit there is also an inn with sleeping 

 accommodation. Best localities for botanising are the 

 rocky debris at the foot of the Bettfluh and the rocky 

 patches of pasture higher up. It was on this moun- 

 tain that Aretius first discovered the small Primu- 

 lacea called after him, allied to Androsace, and 

 included by De Candolle in that genus. In addition 

 to most of the plants growing on the Stockhorn, the 

 following occur here : — 



Achillea tanacetifolia ; Artemisia mitfelliiia ; very 

 rarely; Arnica montana ; Agrostis riipestris ; Avena 

 versicolor ; Aconitum rostrahim : ascent from Wimmis 

 (see remark above on Aconite variety). Circea alpina ; 

 woods; Cirsiuni spinosissimtim [=Carduiis) ; Carex 

 frigida ; capillaris ; Dentaria digitata ; Eryiigiinn 

 alpiniiin ; stems of this species are unbranched, and 

 the radical leaves on long petioles are oval and 

 cordate, those of the stem palmatifid, margins of 

 both more or less spiny ; rocks. Gagea fistulosa ; 

 Geranium lividum ; near Wimmis. Kohresia caricina ; 

 summit. Sihne rupestris ; Scmpervivum tnontamim ; 

 leaves reddish, covered with short glandular hairs ; 

 rare ; Senecio Fuchsii, also on the Stockhorn range, 

 in the woods below near Reutigen, differs mainly 

 from yacquitiia?itts in having narrower leaves, of 

 which the petioles are not winged, and in the smaller 

 capitula.* Thlaspi rotundifolia ; near the summit ; 

 rare ; Viola calcarata, var. catilescens, &c. Near the 

 bridge, over the Simmen, on the road from Wimmis 

 to Thun, there is a slope composed entirely of rocky 

 debris fallen from the mountain above. Many alpine 

 plants grow here side by side with those of the plain : 

 Atha7na)iia Cretefisis ; Aster alpinus ; Bupleurum ra- 

 nunculoides, fine ; Cochlearia saxatilis ; Draba aizoides ; 

 Iiieraciu7n glaucum ; Linaria alpina ; Melica ciliata ; 

 Physalis Alkekengi ; and several others. f 



Between the Stockhorn range and Thun there is a 

 belt of forest called the Kandergrien, and before the 

 torrent of the united Kander and Simmen was 

 diverted into the lake its course was in this direction, 



* Both species = nemorcnlis, &c. 



t On the Mannlifluh, 8500 feet, Albrlst, 8900 feet, and other 

 mountains of the Niesen chain, or rather of the chain to which 

 the Niesen belongs, ^xovi Azalea procmnbens ; Arabis cesrulea ; 

 Atidrosace Helvetica; Ave?ta sitbsfiuata ; Cardamhte alpina ; 

 resedifolia ; Carex fcctida ; ni^ra; Cerastinm lati/olium ; 

 Campanula Cenisii; Draba Joliamiis; Jrigida ; Festuca 

 pilosa ; Geimi reptans ; Galium Helveticnm ; Gentiana tejiella; 

 brachypfiylla; Hieracium, several uncommon species; /"£■<//- 

 ctdaris comosa ; Rammculus glacialis ; Stellaria cerastioides ; 

 Saxifras:a bijlora ; cunei/olia; Trifoliiim ritbens ; Viola 

 Cenisii, "&c. (See the Swiss Alpine Club Reports.) 



A double line of immense rocks and boulders shows 

 the moraine nature of the ancient river banks ; and 

 between this Kandergrien and the foot of the range 

 extend also in a double line some low hills of 

 similar formation, which indicate the ancient bed of a 

 glacier in prehistoric times, when all these valleys of 

 the Aar, the Kander, and the Simmen were deposi- 

 tories of ice and snow, which extended down from 

 the high Alps beyond as far as Berne, where they 

 were in contact with these Rhone glaciers. Several 

 alpine plants, sprung from seed brought down by the 

 torrents, are naturalised in the Kandergrien, and, 

 besides these, many other interesting plants abound 

 there, more or less so. Anemone ranunciiloides, 

 Actcca spicata, Alchemilla alpina, Arctoslaphylos Uva- 

 ursi, plentiful, Circaa intermedia, plentiful between 

 Buchholz hamlet and a cavern in the forest called 

 Rindfleisch ; alpi7ia, very rarely, Carduus defloratus ; 

 occasionally ; Cephalanthera ensifolia ; Calamagrostis 

 varia ; Corallorhiza JIalleri ; both sides of the road 

 near the Rindfleisch cavern. Cypripedizim Calceohis ; 

 almost exterminated. Dryas octopetala ; Erica 

 carnea ; plentiful ; Gypsophila repens ; Gentiana 

 cruciata ; ciliata ; Habenaria viridis ; Inula Vail- 

 lantii ; salicaria ; former near Stratlingea tower. 

 Lonicera alpigena ; between the road to Amsoldingen 

 and the footpath to Thierackern, near the road to 

 Amsoldingen. Oxytropis campestris ; Laserpitiuvi 

 glabrum ; towards the bridge near the cavern, Mc' 

 lampyrum sylvaticnm ; Polygala CkamcEbuxus ; plen- 

 tiful ; PJiysalis Alkekengi; plentiful between the 

 cavern and Buchholz. Fingiiicula alpina ; in the 

 cavern. Phyteuma 07-biculare ; Pyrola rotundifolia ; 

 abundant ; chlorantha ; between the roads to Thie- 

 rackern, leaves smaller, toothed, style long, sepals 

 broad, oval. ThalictruTn aquilegifolium ; Rosa al- 

 pina : Spirica aruticus ; Thesium alpimi77i ; Valeriana 

 tripteris ; 7no7itana ; and many others, 

 r This is an easy excursion from Thun ; a great 

 drawback, if the weather be fine and warm, are the 

 gadflies. At the foot of the first range of low hills 

 is the village of Amsoldingen, where there is a small 

 lake. On the southern shore of this grows Carex 

 microstachya ; also Ca7-ex li7nosa and alba ; Cyperus 

 fuscus, &c. By another lake not far off is Cladiu7/i. 

 Germanicjnn, and on intervening boggy 'ground, 

 A7idromeda polifolia. A pleasant excursion is to the 

 summit of the Griisisberg, formation conglomerate, 

 close to the town ; elevation about 4000 feet above 

 the sea, returning by the Hiinibach gorge. There is 

 not much, of course, out of the common ; Goodyera 

 repens, and Vaceiniu7n Vitis-Mra are extremely 

 frequent ; Carex hu>nilis ; or7iitkopodioides ; Cyclamen 

 EuropiTum ; DiantJms superbus; Hordeum sylvaticum ; 

 near the Rabenfluh ; Hippophae rJia/nnoides ; by the 

 roadside ; (plentiful at the mouth of the Kander). In 

 the gorge, Valeria7ia tripteris ; Saxifraga mtitata, &c.; 

 Epilobium i-os7narinifoliu77i ; Cotoncaster tomentosa ; 

 and several willows. Above Oberhofen, a little 



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