354 BOTANY OF THE MEUSE. [December, 



unless indeed the Romans adopted that ingenious mechanical 

 contrivance in such general use in the backwoods of Australia, 

 of having a long and a short pair of wheels, which are changed 

 from side to side as occasion requires. 



But I am neither artist, geologist, nor antiquary, therefore it 

 is not the pursuit of any of these objects, that draws me to the 

 Fond de Leffe. For me it has a twofold interest, — first, as 

 being the residence of some dear members of my family, with 

 whom I have spent many a long, pleasant day, during the past 

 summer; and secondly, that while thus "visiting my relations," 

 I had the opportunity of making acquaintance with its rich 

 and hitherto little-known Flora. The following list of a few of 

 its rare plants will be sufficient to prove what an interesting field 

 is here open to the researches of the botanical tourist. Spring- 

 time brought us Phalangium fAnthericumJ Liliago, Lunaria re- 

 diviva, Arabis arenosa, Ophrys ap'ifera, Cardamine impatiens, 

 Myrrhis odorata, Globularia vulgaris, etc. Later in the season 

 the rocks (limestone) were literally covered by the large white 

 umbels of Seseli (Libanotis) montana, among which Lactuca per- 

 ennis displayed its pretty purple, star-like flowers, together with 

 Allium sphcerocephalum, Verbascum Lychnitis, Vincetoxicum o-ffi- 

 cinale, Dianthus Carthusianorum, Asperula cynanchica. Near 

 the water grew Epilobium roseum, Dipsacus pilosus, Mentha ro- 

 tundifolia. I could lengthen my list by adding the names of 

 many other, though less rare, species. But what will give the 

 Fond de Leffe a lasting fame in the annals of Belgian botany, is 

 the discovery we have lately made there of a plant quite new to 

 our Flora. Some weeks ago, my nephew sent me a sprig of an 

 Artemisia he had met with in his walks, which, though in too 

 young and imperfect a state for determination, I saw immedi- 

 ately was new to me, and fancied might prove to be ^. cayn- 

 pestris, which has hitherto only been found in one locality in 

 Belgium, namely between Sougnez and Aiwaille, in the province 

 of Liege. 



On the 27th of September, as we were spending the day in 

 the valley, my nephew proposed to escort me to the spot where 

 his plant grew. We started, accompanied by his young sister, 

 who shares my taste for botany, all three much excited at the 

 prospect of a rare acquisition for our herbaria. After walking 

 some distance, a turn of the road brought us to the object of our 



