988 



level, the rays of a rising or setting sini ; the apex of the mountain 

 itself being free from vapour. In such circumstances, an observer 

 sees, on some eminence opposite him, a gigantic shadowy resem- 

 blance of himself, waving significantly, if the mass of mist be in 

 motion, surrounded by a beautiful halo, or a magnificent rainbow 

 radiance, or his head alone sending forth the most brilliant stellate 

 rays of golden light, if it bo very moist and dense. In winter, it is 

 said that the head of the ' spectre ' is often encircled by a most gor- 

 geous starry diadem ; the millions of dancing starlets reflecting a light 

 too dazzling for any mortal long to behold with impunity!" The 

 author noticed shortly the mineralogy and geology of the Brocken 

 and surrounding country, especially with reference to their Flora. 

 The mountain itself consists of a mass of granite, rising through the 

 transition strata (chiefly graywacke and clay-slate), of which the greater 

 part of the Hartz district consists. He then entered at length on the 

 subject of the Brocken Flora, mentioning the points in which it resem- 

 bled or differed from the Flora of the Scotch Highlands. In particu- 

 lar, he noticed the occurrence of Dianthus deltoides and D. superbus, 

 Asplenium germanicum. Erysimum odoratum, &c., about Neustadt ; 

 Anemone alpina, Carex rigida and C. vaginata, Hieracium alpinum 

 and H. Halleri, Linnsea borealis, Polypodiura alpesti-e, Thesium alpi- 

 num, &c., on the summit of the Brocken (Brockenhohe) ; Eriophorum 

 alpinum, &c., on the Brockenfeld ; Listera cordata, CoralloiThiza 

 innata. Digitalis purpurea, Carex pauciflora, Empetrum nigrum, An- 

 dromeda polifolia, Calamagrostris Halleriana, Vaccinium uliginosum 

 and V. Vitis-Idaea, Oxycoccos palustris, Scirpus caespitosus, Sonchus 

 alpinus, Blechnum boreale, Lycopodium Selago, L. annotinum, L. 

 complanatura, L. alpinum, &c., on the summits of the higher moun- 

 tains of the Oberharz. He also noticed the occurrence, on the 

 Brocken and neighbouring mountains, of various rare Cryptogams, 

 especially mosses and lichens ; e. g., Anomodon striatus, Grimmia 

 unicolor and G. uncinata, Gymnomitrium adustum, Jungermannia 

 Kunzeana and G. Wenzelii, Opegrapha petraea, Lecidea more, L. 

 glacialis, L. atro-rufa, L. arctica, L. armeniaca, &c. 



The author mentioned incidentally that there is a strong resem- 

 blance between the neighbourhood of Hartzburg and Dunkeld, and, 

 in general, that a great similarity exists between much of the Hartz 

 scenery and that of the Scotch Highlands. He gave a description of 

 the " Panorama of the Brocken," and specified some of the legends 

 and superstitions connected with that mountain. 



" The forests are not only an important element of the picturesque. 



