!208 PITHOEÄ. 



blj a variety of the Cranberry (Vacciniunt 

 Oai/coccus), differing only in having ex- 

 tremely narrow leaves, with smaller flowers 

 and fruit than usual. The common kind 

 was intermixed with it, but the difference 

 of size was constant. The Pinguicula grew 

 among them, sometimes with round, some- 

 times with more oblong leaves. 



The Bilberry (Vacciniiim Myrtillus) pre- 

 sented itself most commonly with red 

 flow^ers, more rarely with flesh-coloured 

 ones. Mi/rica Gale, which I had not be- 

 fore met with in Westbothnia, grew spar- 

 ingly in the marshes. 



In the evening, a little before the sun 

 went down, I was assailed by such multi- 

 tudes of gnats as surpass all imagination. 

 They seemed to occupy the whole atmo- 

 sphere, especially when I travelled through 

 low or damp meadows. They filled my 

 mouth, nose and eyes, for they took no 

 pains to get out of my way. Luckily they 

 did not attack me with their bites or stings, 

 though they almost choked me. When 



