1863.] BELGIAN BOTANY. 425 



The same appetite that had hastened our march was likewise 

 felt by those in our rear, who from a shorter cut did not delay 

 making their appearance. Each one sat down on the grass, and 

 our obliging mattre d'hotel, M. M , distributed with exem- 

 plary justice both solids and liquids. 



One of the last arrived narrated to us the adventure to which 

 I have already alluded. Whilst he and his party were collecting 

 maritime plants, a keeper approached them with a gun on his 

 shoulder, and accompanied by a huge mastiff, spoke rather rudely 

 to the President, ordering him to discontinue digging up his 

 plant, or he should make him ; he even seemed about to present 

 his gun ; however, seeing the determined obstinacy of the com- 

 pany, he left swearing, assuring them that he was going to ob- 

 tain the assistance of the Nieuport gendarmerie. I regret not 

 knowing the name of this uncouth individual, so as to hand him 

 over to the execration of all present and future botanists. 



We took the road towards Oostdunkerke, in the neighbourhood 

 of which we found Bromus tectorum and Rosa pimpinelU folia. 



There our excellent comrade Dr. V was obliged to leave us. 



From Oostdunkerke we arrived at Coxyde, picking up on the road 

 Fumaria densiflora and Trifglium micranthum, var. We cut 

 across the dunes to La Panne, the place where we were to reas- 

 semble so as to arrive altogether at Fumes, the end of our journey. 

 In the immense tract of dunes between Coxyde and La Panne 

 the following species are abundant : — Honkeneja peploides. Par- 

 nassia palusiris, Anagallis tenella, Euphorbia Paralias, Thesium 

 humifusum, Herminium Monorchis, Epipactis palustris, Schoenus 

 nigricans, Carex trinervis, Ophioglossmn vulgatum. The numer- 

 ous patches of the white and red Anagallis were especially re- 

 markable, as well as the thousand tufts of Thesium. Here and 

 there we saw amongst the Grass the microscopical Equisetum 

 varieqatum and rosettes of Gentiana Amarella. We saw also the 

 Cuscuta Epithymum, Lithospei'mum officinale, Senecio sylvaticus, ■ *_!|;jxr 

 Alisma ranunculoides. A very common plant in chalky soils, 

 but not to be met with in the greater part of Lower Belgium, 

 (viz. the Campinian zone), is the Primida officinalis, which grows 

 here in the dunes. M. Coemans gathered near the beach a few 

 leaves of Zostera nana, a very rare plant in this country. If I 

 had to treat of the zoology of the seashore, I should not omit 

 the multitude of rabbits living on the dunes. Nothing is more 



N. S. VOL. VI. 3 I 



