A FLORA OF GIBRALTAR AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD XV 
The latter is sandy, and is now levelled and turfed for recreation 
where it is not occupied by buildings; only a small portion near 
the Devil’s Tower and the rifle butts is in anything like its 
original state. Formerly the North Front was for the most part 
as wild and rough as the present Neutral Ground, and produced 
many species now “improved” out of existence, though some 
doubtless survived until Kelaart’s time. These will be dealt with 
more fully under District IT. 
The Rock itself is a mass of limestone, sloping towards the 
west, with the bare rock appearing all over the middle and upper 
t bier 
Hill, some 250 ft. above the sea and thence precipitously to 
Europa Flats at about 100 ft. The shore, except at the North 
Front and Catalan Bay, and a few points on the western side, is 
to penetrate, and in recent years a considerable number of pine 
and other trees have been planted on the western slopes. The 
ch wilder, and pa them were ¢ d for vin d 
cereals. In this neighbourhood doubtless several of the species 
which are now extinct were to be n e east side a 
also grew on the North Front. Modern improvements and water 
catchments are rapidly destroying this interesting habitat. Bras- 
| papillaris has already disappeared from its only known 
Station. 
Gibraltar, which has 587 native species, has a markedly diffe- 
rent flora from that of the neighbouring parts of Spain. This is 
due to its limestone formation, the absence of water o damp 
places, the rarity of sand dunes, and the almost total absence of 
agriculture. Thus Hricacee are totally absent, while many other 
genera and species, which are quite common in the neighbour- 
e 
been encouraged and crowded out much of the undergrowth. 
Gaudichaud remarks upon the total absence, in 1817, of all trees 
taller than Chamerops humilis, though this must have been an 
