450 WILLTAM CHRIST^'"s 



from the heights above Realexo. The prospect from the steei» 

 ascent which we had before descended in the dark is really 

 splendid. We had a distant view of the island of Palma, but 

 rather indistinct, the day not being very clear. Great abun- 

 dance of the beautiful Canarlna Campanula appeared in the 

 moist hedges, but few plants of it in blossom. On a rocky 

 bank we discovered a few specimens of a curious Orchideus 

 plant, apparently a Habenaria, with yellowish green flowers. 

 It will probably prove to be Orchis tridactylisy (Webb and 

 Berthelot,) mentioned, though not yet described, in their 

 splendid work. About mid-way between Matanza and Laguna 

 we stopped to visit the forest of Agua Garcia, one of the few 

 remaining relics of the ancient magnificent laurel forests of the 

 island. It lies almost close to the road ; but a small inter- 

 vening hill so effectually conceals it, that few persons merely 

 passing by would suspect its existence. Crossing the hill we 

 came upon a pretty wooded bank, abounding with the sweetest 

 violets, and affording us specimens of several new shrubs and 

 trees, amongst which perhaps the rarest were Adenocarpus 

 foliolosus, and the beautiful Arbutus Canariensis. The path- 

 way then led us into a little narrow dell, at the entrance of 

 which were the most magnificent specimens of Erica arborea I 

 ever saw. The trunks were as large as a man's body, and at 

 least thirty or forty feet high. Advancing farther up the glen 

 we were almost bewildered in a complete forest of enormous 

 ferns, ( Wood war clia radicans and Pteris arc/uta^ nearly as tall 

 as ourselves, while the rocky sides were clothed with a species 

 of Boehmei'ia and Viburnum rugosmn, covered with bunches of 

 its beautiful steel-blue berries. The most enormous laurels, 

 principally I believe Tils, {Persea fcetens,) surrounded us on 

 every side, and were most curiously fringed, even to their top- 

 most branches, with a profusion of DavalUa Canariensis, mixed 

 in the lower parts with remarkably fine specimens oi Asple- 

 nium palmatmu. Between their giant trunks we saw here and 

 there a moist bank completely clothed with a tapestry of a 

 beautiful Trickomanes, somewhat resembling our Irish one — 

 perhaps identical with the Madeira T. speciosum, but larger 

 than any specimens I saw in that island. Among the smaller 

 plants we gathered a handsome Cineraria {C . popidifoUa ?) not 

 in flower, with fine glossy dark green leaves, snow-white 

 beneath; and the interesting and rare Hippion viscosum. But 



