816 
and at p. 212 several interesting letters on 
the same subject. Since that period, M. 
Gay of Paris has commenced the publica- 
tion of Durieu’s '* Jéer Asturicum" in the 
« Annales des Sciences Naturelles,” Pa- 
ris, for August and September, 1836, p. 
113 and 129, which is to be continued. 
Having been so fortunate as to procure 
one of the collections made during this 
excursion, and hoping that any information 
respecting a country so little known to 
British Botanists may prove interesting, 
I now venture to submit these brief notes 
to the public, as a trifling contribution to 
the Geography of plants. It may here be 
necessary to observe, that as yet M. Gay 
has touched but slightly on this branch of 
his subject, confining himself to remarking 
the precise localities of the rare species 
for the benefit of future Botanists; though 
it is likely his essay will be concluded by 
a series of general remarks. To save the 
reader the trouble of consulting his Atlas, 
it may be as well to notice, that the Pro- 
vince of Asturias forms the North coast of 
Spain from Biscay to Galicia, a distance of 
about one hundred and fifty British miles, 
its greatest breadth from Cape de Penas to 
Leon being between sixty and seventy 
miles. From that province it is divided 
by a lofty branch of the Pyrenées, Sierra 
Alba situated near the eastern extremity 
of the range, being 6,960 feet in height, 
Sierra Penamarella at the western extre- 
mity, 9,450 feet, and Neas Pagaris holding 
a place nearly equidistant between them, 
2,628 feet. Here the line of perpetual 
snow is 7,200 feet. On Arvas, a mountain 
peculiarly rich in plants, Mr. Durieu found 
the snow to be melted in July. Asturias 
is about six degrees South of the Land's- 
end in Cornwall, and its longitude the same 
as that of Ireland. In the collection of 
plants which forms the subject of these 
remarks, are comprised one hundred and 
forty-one specimens of cellular, and twenty- 
one of vascular, cryptogamic species ; sixty- 
five of Monocotyledones, and one hundred 
and eighty-five of Dicotyledones, in all 
four hundred and twelve species or well- 
marked varieties; they were named by 
NOTES ON A COLLECTION OF PLANTS 
M. Gay, which places the correctness 
their appellations beyond dispute. 
three Fungi, one is peculiar to the Pe 
sula, and the other two to the North of — 
Europe. The A/ge, which are particularl 
man Ocean, are forty-three in number 
four or five only have not been collected | 
on the British coasts. We have all the - 
Lichens but one, out of sixteen, and that, - 
though Umbilicaria, a plant not likely to be - 
it with us. Of twenty one Hepatice, five - 
only have not been detected in these king- — 
doms. And the same may be said of six 
Mosses out of fifty-eight. 
nineteen of the twenty-one Filices, but 
one exception is remarkable. I allude to 
Woodwardia radicans, which reaches the — 
North of Spain from Madeira and Teneriffe, r i 
a Fern with the size and appearance ofa 4 
tropical production. On examining the 7 
flowering plants, it immediately becomes - 
evident that the natives of the South — 
sixty-five Monocotyledons | 
eight are British, and of one hundred and 
eighty-five Dicotyledons, fifty-two alone : 
are known as indigenous with us, or 1n Ire- 
land. Yet We should not consider e 
> 
cessary that something $ 
specting those rare S| ud 
West and West of England, and pee ; 
ticularly the West of Ireland, are ©? om E 
tured to owe to the Pyrenean Flora. 
hih 
Spain for some of our 
it is worthy of notice, 
even reach the South-W 
but always ranging on the western € 
our island. 
est of Scotia 
oast 
