372 Mary Somerville. 



the year before busy in the morning with my own 

 studies, and passing the rest of the day on the 

 terrace with my daughters, who brought me beauti- 

 ful wild flowers from their excursions over the 

 country. Many of the flowers they brought were 

 new to me, and it is a curious fact that some plants 

 which did not grow in this part of the country a 

 few years ago are now quite common. Amongst 

 others, the Trachelium coeruleum, a pretty wall-plant, 

 native of Calabria, and formerly unknown here, 

 now clothes many an old wall near Naples, and at 

 Sorrento. The ferns are extremely beautiful here. 

 Besides those common to England, the Pteris cretica 

 grows luxuriantly in the damp ravines, as well as 

 that most beautiful of European ferns, the Wood- 

 wardia radicans, whose fronds are often more than 

 six feet long. The inhabitants of Sorrento are very 

 superior to the Neapolitans, both in looks and 

 character ; they are cleanly, honest, less cruel to 

 animals, and have pleasant manners neither too 

 familiar nor cringing. As the road between Sor- 

 ~ento and Castellamare was impassable, owing to 

 the fall of immense masses of rock from the cliffs 

 above it, we crossed over in the steamer with 

 our servants and our pet birds, for I now have 

 a beautiful long-tailed parroquet called Smeraldo, 

 who is my constant companion and is very familiar 



