xiv Proceedings. {November 8th, 1897. 



S^Microscopical and Natural History Section?^ 



Ordinary Meeting, November 8th, 1897. 



Mark Stirrup, F.G.S., President of the Section, 

 in the Chair. 



Mr. J. Cosmo Melvill exhibited a large collection of 

 Alpine plants collected by himself during June and July, 1897, 

 in the Ampezzo Thai, S. Tyrol, Austria ; mainly on the 

 mountains round Schluderbach, Landro, and Cortina d'Ampezzo 

 — all of the magnesian limestone called Dolomite. The 

 mountains range in height from 7,500 to 12,900 feet, being 

 capped by the Drei Zinnen, Monte Cristallo, Diirrenstein, and 

 Croda Rossa. Of these the Monte Cristallo, with its glaciers, is 

 the most conspicuouf;, and seems to dominate the entire valley. 

 The Croda Rossa is almost inaccessible, and is one of the finest 

 of the Dolomite mountains for variety of colours, the red 

 rock contrasting with the snowfield below. It has thus acquired 

 the local name of the Mount of the Crucifixion. 



Between 400 and 500 species of Phanerogams and Ferns \yere 

 gathered, the most striking and local being the Potentilla 

 caulescens^ Phyteuma comosum, PcEderota bonarota, Seskria sphcero- 

 cephela, Artemisia nitida and others, which specially affect crevices 

 in the living Dolomite. The detritus and stony beds of the 

 R. Rienz ere it flowed into the Diirren-see, afforded many 

 interesting plants, such as Thlaspi rotundifolium, Poa minor, 

 P. laxa, Cerastium carinthiacum, Papaver alpinum, Scro- 

 phularia hoppei, etc., and the precipitous woods of the Platz 

 Wiesen, Eduardfelsen, Schwartzkofel and the Monte Piano, 

 abundance of Anemone trifolia. Rhododendron chamcecistus, 

 P, hirsutum, Sorbus chamcemespitus, Poly gala chamoebuxus, 

 Atragene alpina and Crepis incarnata, while higher up occurred 

 the curious Ranunculus hybridus, R. pyrenceus, three species 

 of Soldanella, of which S. minima is the most elegant. 



