216 
Arvas, presents a very small plateau, only 
a few feet square. I took a note of the 
heenogamous plants, growing on this con- 
* fined space, which I transcribe, in order to 
give you some idea of the vegetation of 
these Asturian Pyreneés ; 
Linaria supina—lberis conferta (La 
Gasca). — Jasione montana.—Phyteuma 
hemispherica.—Stiatice Armeria.—Junt- 
perus depressa (nob.)—Agrostis rubra.— 
: A. Asturica (nob.)—Aira Asturica (nob.) 
—Sedum brevifolium. — gli 
Bunium Bulbocastanum.—Festuca Eskia, 
F. glauca, and F. spadicea.—Leontodon ? 
— Lotus corniculatus. —Silene geniculata 
(La Gasea). S. nutans.—Galium Mollu- 
go, (a small alpine form).—Chrysanthe- 
mum anomalum (La Gasca).—Dianthus 
hirtus?—Plantago graminea, 
A remarkable fact, and which proves the 
uniformity of vegetation in these schistose 
mountains, is, that the summit of the peak 
: of Canellas, which has likewise its plateau, 
: presented me with the identical same spe- 
| cies as above, with the single exception of 
Agrostis rubra. 
Towards the most westerly parts of this 
chain, extend those lofty forests, celebrated 
for the noble timber which they once yield- 
ed, and which they still produce. Now, 
being filled with bears, wolves, and lynxes, 
they are the object of dread to the timid 
Asturians, who dare not venture within 
their limits, even to collect a part of the 
immense quantity of dead wood which has 
lain rotting there for nearly half a century. 
So difficult was it to find a guide who would 
consent to accompany me into the forest, 
. and the recollection of my wife, child, and 
aged mother, would permit me. You would 
tax me with romance, did I attempt to de- 
scribe the sensations which fill the mind in 
ie last time that any of these trees were 
which was for naval purposes, was 
: more than thirty years ago, and the timber 
. has never been removed. Thousands of 
beeches and oaks, of colossal dimensions, 
lie here and there, acd eee. and 
M. DURIEU'S BOTANICAL EXCURSIONS 
half buried in the soil which has accumu- | 
lated around them. The two days which I 
spent in this excursion were quite profitless, | 
so far as my Herbarium was concerned; I - 
did not bring away a single species of flow- 
ering plants, which seem indeed, unable to 
exist in these deep umbrageous woods, and. 
of Lichens I found only those large fol | 
ceous kinds, common to all the European — 
forests, and discovered no trace of Sticta 
aurata and crocata of the forestsof Brittany, 
which I thought myself sure of gathering. 
Upon the whole, as the result of my 
journey, I shall have from three hundred | 
and sixty to three hundred and eighty spe- | 
cies to distribute, as characteristic plants — 
of the country I have explored. Among | 
them will be some Cryptogamia, and about 
twenty Ferns. I much regret the not hav- 
ing found Hymenophyllum elegans, which — : 
Col. Bory de St. Vincent discovered at : 
Luarca, and which I sought for in vain 
over a long line of coast. 
here is a small number of excellent 
species, which it was impossible for me to 
collect in such quantities as to fill up all 
the collections. In this case, I have taken 
care to bring away ripe seeds, which I shall 
plant, and distribute specimens of them 
hereafter. Nor did I omit to gather seeds 
of all such species as appeared interesting, - 
and I shall sow them myself, and attend to 
their cultivation with the greatest care. 
Immediately on reaching home, I mean to 
sow, under glass, in hopes that it may — 
blossom in the spring, a species of Barba- 
rea, which I consider one of the most cu- 
rious in my whole collection. I also col- 
lected a quantity of seeds of a lovely 
Hesperis, equally remarkable for its beauty —— 
and for the exclusive habitat which it affects. — 
At the distance of a short league from . 
Canjas de Tineo, precisely at the highest . 
point of the road, where it crosses the. 
mountain, before descending into the val- 
ley of Corias, is situated a small village,- 
called Puelo. I first saw the plant on my 
way to Canjas de Tineo, as walking slowly —. 
with my eyes fixed on the ground, I follow- 
ed the procession pace of the half-starved 
mules which carried my baggage. few 
ma NES 
PSO deb wot T TUS ee TIME 
