was alittle longer. The league frequently 
.. marked in the maps, and there denominated 
= Lieue commune, is one twenty-fifth of a 
- degree of latitude, and must therefore be 
full two miles and three-quarters English, 
but the Liewe de Pays varies from three 
to four miles. On taking Desvaux’s dis- 
tances in a straight line in Leewes commu- 
nes on the map, they often fall short of 
their point, and therefore, making allow- 
ance for the crookedness of the road, 
I conclude that the leagues he mentions 
are the Liewes de Pays, which in this part 
of France may, I think, be taken at three 
miles and a half. 
If I had consulted the Flora of Anjou 
before going to Angers, instead of after- 
wards, I should probably have visited two 
or three of these localities. But my chief 
object in this tour was the Botany of Brit- 
tany, and it was a wish to examine some 
very ancient churches, rather than the 
search after plants, which induced me to 
deviate into this little expedition eastward 
from Nantes. I therefore hastened my 
departure, and on the 27th went to Le Ro- 
Sier in a diligence with three wheels. There 
I had to wait an hour and a half for the 
ferry-boat to Gennes. This is one of the 
most beautiful spots on the Loire; steep 
banks covered with wood, or sometimes 
crowned with a church, descend to the 
borders of the river, and the beautiful ex- 
iil of water, with its woody islands, and 
Él : cultivated country beyond, 
n ~ in villages and scattered habita- 
cm ould have well beguiled the time, 
he: ees neither churches nor plants. 
fenis m inn, too, where I stopt, the 
coget remarkably civil, attentive, 
: > ^ 28th I walked to Cuneault, where 
A m and very fine church, 
lenis ed PA zn ruins, which is attri- 
ibd. Bobert ; and on the 29th I pro- 
: "p the valley in which the village 
» and stumbled by chance on two 
mlechs 4 
I$ placed 
fine 
Helianthemum guttatum, 
Comwca, Geranium rotundifolium, 
ACCOUNT OF A BOTANICAL EXCURSION INTO BRITTANY. 
269 
Genista Anglica, Trifolium rubens, Orni- 
thopus compressus, Lathyrus sativus, L. 
Aphaca, Orobus niger, Potentilla alba, 
P. verna, Rosa tomentosa, Herniaria hir- 
suta, Sedum rupestre, S. secangulare, S. 
Cepea, Caucalis daucoides, Galium pu- 
sillum, G. tricorne, Fedia coronata, F. 
Auricula, Borkhausia precoz, Campa- 
nula Speculum, C. Rapunculus, Erica 
scoparia, Linaria supina, Melampyrum 
cristatum, M.arvense, Veronica Teucrium, 
Salvia pratensis, Ajuga Chamepitys, La- 
mium maculatum, Euphorbia Esula, Or- 
chis aranifera (with yellow border), O. 
militaris, O. coriophora, Satyrium hirci- 
num, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Phalan- 
gium bicolor, Convallaria multiflora, Lu- 
zula albida, Carex biligularis, Agrostis 
spicaventi, Bromus Madritensis, B. tecto- 
rum, Triticum Nardus. ; 
On the 30th I re-crossed the Loire to 
Le Rosier, observing in my way that the 
waters had sunk nearly two feet, and la- 
menting that a very short period would 
deprive this charming scenery of one of 
its chief ornaments. I resumed my place 
in the Trecycle to Saumur, and in the 
evening proceeded in the Nyon diligence 
to Thouars. The next day I got a cabrio- 
let and went to St. Généroux, where there 
is a church of the eighth century. The 
valleys here are very pleasant, often rocky 
and romantic ; but the general face of the 
country is not so, being a wide extent of 
cultivated land, without trees or inclosures. 
The wildest of these little valleys is pro- 
bably that which is known as containing 
« ]a cascade,” about two miles from Thou- 
ars. A tiny rill dribbles over a rock eight 
or ten feet high ; if it had more water, it 
would be truly beautiful, but it is still a 
delightful spot, which I enjoyed the more 
from finding great variety in its Botany. 
The neighbourhood of Thouars and St. 
Généroux gave me Arum Italicum. This 
is a very large plant, and often has black 
as well as white spots on the leaves; but 
as a species is probably not distinct 
A. maculatum. The dry soil 
furnished Thalictrum minus, "á hy- 
bridum, Thlaspi perfoliatum, Nesha pa- 
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