166 Mr. G. C. Champion on 



Honibre runs in a deep hollow, beyond which the arid 

 adjacent slopes are mostly occupied by terraced vineyards. 

 The hillsides were very gay on onr arrival with one of the 

 various species of " broom " characteristic of the district, 

 viz. Genista florida , this being in full flower at the end of 

 June. On the higher parts of the Sierra this plant was 

 replaced by Cytisus 'pwrgans, the dense masses of its yellow 

 flowers being visible from a long distance. On the slopes 

 near the town, the vegetation chiefly consisted of chestnut 

 and small deciduous oaks, of which latter there were woods 

 at an elevation of quite 5500 feet, near La Garganta, as well 

 as low down on the other side of the river near San Gil ; 

 and amonofst the broom there was a great deal of arbores- 

 cent heath, lavender, and other aromatic plants, etc. The 

 whole of the Bejar region visited seemed to be of granite 

 formation, and no pines or other Coniferoe were seen. 

 From the summit of the Sierra de Bejar, on which there 

 were large patches of snow up to the beginning of July, a 

 magnificent view was obtained of the higher Sierra de 

 Gredos, with its numerous jagged, snowy peaks, this 

 rancre extending far to the eastward towards the Guadar- 

 rama, becoming gradually lower in that direction ; the 

 Sierra de Gata,* and some of the mountains of Portugal, 

 none of these appearing to be much over GOOO feet ; the 

 plains of Leon and Castile, and a portion of those of 

 Estremadura, etc. The abundance and variety of " brooms " 

 and the vast number of insects to be found on them when 

 in flower, especially on Genista fior Ida, was to us the most 

 interesting feature of the district, nothing of the kind 

 having been noticed by us at Cuenca, etc., the previous 

 year. On the higher parts of the Sierra many beetles 

 were to be found, such as Asida casfel/ana, Dorcadion 

 dejcani (the only species of the genus met with during 

 the entire trip), Oorymhites of several species, including 

 C. ]i[ema2^tcrns, a very elongate Athous, Otiorrhynchus 

 dentijJes, two Ncbriie, Cymindis of several species, Amara 

 ooptera, Trechus j^andelUi, a Bcmhid.ium of the B. glaciah- 

 group, Fteo-ostichus azaow, four species of Zalvus, including 

 Z. consirictus, Byrrhus dejjilis, Olocrates, Ileliopates, Ten- 

 tyria, TimarcJia, etc., many of them in plenty. A little 

 Lnver down Chlmnius dives ran about on the grassy slopes, 



* Dr. Seidlitz visited Alberca and the Pena de la Francia in this 

 district in 1865. We had intended also to go there, but deferred the 

 journey till too late. 



