Apr. 1899.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY^ OF EDINBURGH 199 



The hay of these alluvial pastures had just been cut, so 

 there were comparatively few flowers to beguile our way. 

 On a dyke were grand specimens of Asplenmm septentrioiialc 

 of lengthy and elegantly cut fronds. On the bank, near 

 the same place, were found plants not unfamiliar to us : 

 Silene nutans, L. ; Salvia pratensis, L., with large bright 

 blue flowers ; the smaller 8. verticillata, L. ; the common 

 Lithospcrmum officinale, L. ; Cuscuta Trifolii, Bab. ; and 

 Monotropa Hypopitys, L. The orchids were more in- 

 teresting. Best among them were clumps of a small pale 

 yellow flowered one on thyme, which turned out to be 

 the very rare Epipogum Gmelini,' Eich. ; others were 

 Gymnadenia Conopsea, Br. ; G. ocloratissima, Eich. ; Neottia 

 Nidus-avis, L. ; Epvpactis latifolia, Sw. 



Hurrying onwards, Trins, our half-way house of call, 

 was reached in good time. This village nestles cosily at 

 the foot of the Blaser Mountain. Between this and 

 Gschnitz we observed large flowered Diplotaxis tenuifolia, 

 L.; Saponaria ocymoides, L.; the dense Saxifraga ccesia, L.; 

 Pyrola unifiora, L. ; P. chlorantha, Sw. ; the less rare 

 P. secunda, L. ; and Globularia cordifolia, L. 



These and other flowers of greater or less rarity 

 persuaded us to linger on the road. In a sunset of 

 exceeding loveliness, views of lofty mountains outlined 

 the horizon in matchless colouring, and most prominent 

 amongst them were the Tribulaun, rising to 10,175 feet, 

 and the Habicht to 10,7(30 feet. The small hamlet of 

 Gschnitz is 4075 feet above the sea-level. 



As it was towards evening, and as the keen air made us 

 clamant for food, we hurried to the Herr Pfarrer's, who 

 received paying guests, — qviite a number of whom were 

 taking wine with each other in a shed which had been 

 erected for their convenience near his house. His house- 

 keeper welcomed us with smiles, which grew broader from 

 our failure to speak the language " understanded of the 

 people." She spoke only Ladin, but was induced by the 

 universal language of signs to provide us with food. 



By way of interlude, may I take time to remind you 

 that Ladin is said to be a corruption of many Eomansch 

 dialects. The late Dr. John Brown has recounted a 

 tradition of its origin that I have not met with else- 



