CH. xrx IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES 181 



much more wood on it, at the same altitude, than 

 Chimborazo or Cotopaxi, or any other of the lofty 

 mountains I have seen. Its ascent begins from 

 my very door, but to get up to the snow-line and 

 make any collection there, would occupy at least 

 two or three days. When the rainy season, or, as 

 it is called here, " tiempo de las nevadas," is fairly 

 over, I hope to attack Tunguragua in earnest. 

 The snow has been very low down, even into the 

 forest, but is now beginning to subside. I was 

 at first much hindered in my operations for want of 

 paper at Ambato I could get only white letter- 

 paper, very dear but I have now, through Mr. 

 Mocatta's kindness, got a stock of paper from 

 Guayaquil, and you may consider me in constant 

 work, though the rainy weather interferes rather 

 with collecting and drying. Ferns and mosses are 

 in full bloom and in great abundance flowers still 

 rather scarce. It must be from having been so 

 long among lofty trees that all herbaceous vegeta- 

 tion has a weedy look to me, yet I have felt great 

 pleasure in renewing my acquaintance with several 

 European genera among the humble plants ; such 

 are Ranunculus, Geranium, Alchemilla, Hypericuin, 

 Cerastium, Stellaria, Silene, Cardamine, Centtm- 

 culus, Tilkta, Hydrocotyle, Viola, Veronica, Valc- 

 riana, Medicago, Cytisus, and several others. 

 Species of these genera grow along with several 

 characteristic Peruvians- -Fuchsias, Calceolarias, 

 and most abundant of all a pretty Labiate shrub 

 (Gardoquia sp.) with copious reddish tubiform 

 ilowers. The arborescent vegetation, especially 

 towards its upper limit, is what most interests me ; 

 but very few trees are in (lower as yet, and amongst 



