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much further to find a position in which it is either certainly or doubt- 

 fully a native. Next to these is Syringa vulgaris, which occurs some- 

 times in large patches, and sometimes in scattered bushes, just as we 

 should expect from a native plant. Colutea arborea is much less 

 widely diffused ; but this, and Rhus coriaria and R. cotinus, occur at 

 Pithiviers as well as here at Malesherbes. Of Robinia pseud-acacia 

 there is not much, except by the road-sides : it is not a good fire- 

 wood. Spiraea hypericifolia occurs in several places, and as it can- 

 not be of value for fire-wood, is probably a true native. Keeping 

 still to this wood of Malesherbes, we find, in addition to the preced- 

 ing, Cytisus supinus and sessilifolius, Tilia parvifolia and Acer mons- 

 pessulanus. Our next plant is Stachys lanata, at the foot of a flight 

 of steps leading towards the chateau: I observed also a plant or two 

 of the saane by the village of Pinson. We go up these steps, and 

 leaving the chateau on the left, pass by a long straight avenue to the 

 road to Orleans, which we cross, and gather Cytisus supinus, and af- 

 ter some distance, find on the left the wood of Chateau Gay, which 

 we enter, and gather Buxus sempervirens, Quercus coccifera and 

 Taxus baccata : even the latter of these is not thought genuine. 

 Then on a hill almost detached from the general mass, abundance of 

 Phalangium ramosum and Cartharaus mitissimus occur. Here also, 

 in some years. Orchis odoratissima abounds, but though M. Barnard 

 was with me at this point, we hunted a long time for it in vain. The 

 Orchises of the militaris tribe were over, but O. hircina was still in 

 full flower, Ophrys apifera very plentiful, and O. arachnites just com- 

 ing out (June 24), but when I again visited the point at a later period, 

 (July 31), it was in great beauty : Prunella grandiflora also made 

 much more show at this later visit. I do not mention in these walks 

 Teucrium montanum. Ononis Columnae, or Helianthemum Fumana, 

 because they are almost everywhere about Malesherbes. On descend- 

 ing from this hill and leaving the wood, we gathered Neslia panicu- 

 lata and Lactuca perennis. Here M. Barnard again left me, after 

 having pointed out my course to the Colline de Justice. On a bar- 

 ren piece of ground on the way, the three species of Adonis were all 

 growing together, which gave me an opportunity of comparing them. 

 They are perfectly distinct, and well characterized by the seeds. In 

 A. autumnalis {a) these are pyramidal, with a terminal style, and 

 are rounded at the base. Those of A. aestivalis differ by having an 

 unequally projecting membrane above the base, giving the appear- 

 ance of a tooth to the outline, {b) : while in A. flammea, the spike is 

 more cylindrical, the fruit smaller and less angular, and the style be- 



