155 



are very striking. The same author has also published some 

 additions to the Silesian Flora (Breslau, 1837), which however 

 I have not been able to see. 



In a very complete memoir on the Peculiarities of the 

 Flora of the Peat Bogs in the neighbourhood of Greifswald*, 

 M. Hornschuch has specially enumerated all the plants which 

 take part in the formation of peat in that district, and also 

 those which grow preferably on such turf soils. The various 

 peat moors of that district exhibit in their composition great 

 differences, and each one possesses something peculiar which 

 is also expressed in its Flora. The following is the account 

 of the formation of the peat in the turf pits. Sphagnum cus- 

 pidatum gradually covers the whole surface of the water of 

 the pit, sinks from its own weight together with the other 

 plants growing on it, and either fills it up or forms floating 

 islands, and its place is then occupied by Sphagnum acuti- 

 folium. This gradual change in the vegetation in these pits 

 is distinguished by the following stages. The Sphagnum cus- 

 pidatum fixes itself to one side of the pit and densely together, 

 but still swims in, and is surrounded by water, in which Equi- 

 setum limosum and Car ex filiformis vegetate ; while, on the 

 other sides of the pit, Juncus uliginosus begins to spread over 

 the surface of the water, proceeding from the sides. In older 

 pits Sphagnum covers the whole surface ; on and between it 

 vegetate isolated individuals of Schcenus albus, Eriophorum 

 vaginatum, Comarum palustre, Drosera intermedia ; and the 

 submerged rhizomas of Equisetum limosum break with their 

 culms through this covering of plants, &c. 



M. linger read a paper f before the meeting of Naturalists 

 at Prague, in which he brings forward some new statements 

 to defend his view respecting the dependence of certain forms 

 of plants on the nature of the soil J. The new observations 

 have been collected in the neighbourhood of Gratz in Styria ; 

 he there found a number of plants which he designates as al- 

 ways occurring on limestone, and again others which belong 

 to the Kalk-holden . It is sufficiently well known how differ- 



* Flora von 1837. Nos. 47, 48. t Flora von 1837. No. 40. 



J See last year's Report, 



In the German Kalkstete in opposition to Kalkholden. I have some 

 doubt about the meaning of this last word, but if formed of hold loving 

 would be plants preferring limestone but not confined to it. W. F. 



