IX IN THE ECUADOREAN ANDES i8i 
much more wood on it, at the same altitude, than 
Chimborazo or Cotopaxi, or any other of the lofty 
mountains I have seen. Its ascent begins from 
my very door, but to get up to the snow-line and 
make any collection there, would occupy at least 
two or three days. When the rainy season, or, as 
it is called here, " tiempo de las nevadas," is fairly 
over, I hope to attack Tunguragua in earnest. 
The snow has been very low down, even into the 
forest, but is now beginning to subside. I was 
at first much hindered in my operations for want of 
paper — at Ambato I could get only white letter- 
paper, very dear — but I have now, through Mr. 
Mocatta's kindness, got a stock of paper from 
Guayaquil, and you may consider me in constant 
work, though the rainy weather interferes rather 
with collecting and drying. Ferns and mosses are 
in full bloom and in great abundance — flowers still 
rather scarce. It must be from having been so 
long among lofty trees that all herbaceous vegeta- 
tion has a weedy look to me, yet I have felt great 
pleasure in renewing my acquaintance with several 
European genera among the humble plants ; such 
are Ranunculus, Geranium, Alchemilla, Hypericum, 
Cerastium, Stellaria, Silene, Cardamine, Centun- 
culus, Tillaea, Hydrocotyle, Viola, Veronica, Vale- 
riana, Medicago, Cytisus, and several others. 
Species of these genera grow along with several 
characteristic Peruvians — Fuchsias, Calceolarias, 
and most abundant of all a pretty Labiate shrub 
(Gardoquia sp.) with copious reddish tubiform 
flowers. The arborescent vegetation, especially 
towards its upper limit, is what most interests me ; 
but very few trees are in flower as yet, and amongst 
