and the Pyrenees, in 1825. 269 



is thrown over a very deep valley, and served in ancient 

 times to convey water from a hill in the neighbourhood to 

 the town of Nismes. But this astonishing piece of Roman 

 architecture has been so often and so well described, that it 

 were folly in me to say a word more on the subject, than that 

 at present it is so very entire that we walked from the one 

 end to the other, within the aqueduct itself. The covering in 

 some places is broken ; but we found little difficulty in return- 

 ing on the top. On the centre roof-stone was a long Latin in- 

 scription ; but we had neither time nor patience to attempt to 

 decypher it. 



Within the aqueduct, and on tlic roof, we observed many cu- 

 rious little plants. Indeed, it, like the steps of St Peter's at 

 Rome, may well be said to produce a Flora sufficient to gratify 

 one who had come from a northern climate. Amongst others 

 were Hutchinsia petrcBa, Linaria rubifoUa, Helianthemum ra- 

 cemosum /S, Duval, Valantia muralis, Ceterach officinale, Polyc- 

 nemum arvense, Tortula chloronotos, Brid. Grimmia africana, 

 &c. 



We botanized in the neighbourhood, where we met with se- 

 veral of what botanists call good plants. Iris pumila, both the 

 yellow and blue varieties, Ophrys aranrfera, Valeria/na tuberosa, 

 Tulipa clusiana (I doubt much that this ^should rank as a spe- 

 cies). Orchis rohertia/na (of which only one plant was found 

 by us), Globularia ahjssum and Thapsia villosa (but not in 

 flower), were all here. The Grimmia cifricana covered the 

 rocks, while Tortula gracilis was abundant. We had been in- 

 formed that a peculiar s[)ecies of Cyclamen grew here, as well 

 as at Capouladon, in the neiglibourluxxl of Montpellier, and we 

 sought for it long, but without success. Of the Iris pumila, 

 some make two species, I think erroneously, although it is pro- 

 bable that, as garden varieties, they may keep tolerably con- 

 stant. On the rocks opposite to Lafoux is Targicmia hypo- 

 phylla, and behind the inn was a field covered with Hohstea 

 umbeUata, a plant nearly as scarce in the south of France as 

 in Scotland. 



Having done ample justice to a dinner that we had ordered 

 to be ready by our return, we left Lafoux at 6, and got to 

 Nismes at 9 o'clock. The amphitheatre and maison carr^e^ 



