BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 105 
* Between Laibach and Adelsberg I found vegetation rather 
forwarder, and I gathered Scopolia Carniolica, Thlaspi precoz, . 
Euphorbia Carniolica, and other good plants peculiar to the 
country. At Adelsberg, we got into the rocky desert, called 
the Karst, and found ourselves at an elevation where the 
peculiar vegetation of the district was scarcely out; indeed, 
the Quercus Cerris (which is the common Oak there) had 
not expanded its foliage, and I saw Loranthus Europeus 
growing upon it but once or twice, and then, at a height 
which rendered it inaccessible to me. Asa natural curiosity, 
however, the stalactitic grotto of Adelsberg far surpasses in 
beauty and extent any thing of the kind I had any idea of. It 
was not till we had passed Optschine, and crossed the ridge of 
. the hills above Trieste, that the country was again clad with 
spring verdure. - 
* We arrived at Trieste, on the 18th of May, and from that - 
time to the 25th, when we came hither (to Venice), there was 
not a day during which rain did not fall for at least half of 
its hours. I did not, however, wholly give up herborizing, but - 
made two excursions in company with MM. Tommasini. and 
Biasoletti, one was to the Monte Spacéato above the town, 
the other to Contobello, three miles along the coast to the 
N.W. Both these localities, which are visited by all Botan- 
ists who come to Trieste, produce many of the rarest plants 
of the Karst district. The excessive rains that have fallen this- 
Season, have given the rocky pastures an unusual richness of —— 
verdure and variegated them with large masses of Narcissus 
 Poeticus, Orobus versicolor, Gentiana angulosa, vario us s eci es pn 
of Cytisus and Genista, Senecio Scopolii, Fritillaria Pyrenaica, 
and many other highly ornamental flowers, and each time T 
. Feturned laden with plants, which if not absolutely new to 
me; I had never before seen in a growing state. 5 
: * Of the two friends I have just mentioned, the first, M. 
.. Tommasini, is employed in one of the government offices, a 
_ highly gentlemanly and well informed person, suffering under 
| &heavy domestic bereavement and also tried by feeble he: 
. but a zealous botanist, thoroughly acquainted with the 
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