610 Extracts from the Minute Book of the Geological Society . 
heat they do not kindle so freely as this more spongy kind. The ' 
following plants occupy our moist grounds, but can scarcely be said 
to administer to the formation of bog; Pinguicula vulgaris, Triglochin 
palustra, Schcenus nigricans, Mentha aquatica, M. hirsuta, Lycopus 
Europoeus, Centunculus minimus, Iris pseudo acorus, Gallium 
uliginosum, G. palustre, Rumex aquaticus, R. acutus, Myosotis 
palustris, Parnassia palustris, Anagallis tenella, Hydrocotyle vulgaris, 
Juncus effusus, J. buffonius, J. conglomerate, J, lampocarpus, 
J. acutiflorus, Alisma ranunculoides, Polygonum amphibium, P. 
hydropiper, P. minus, Stellaria uliginosa, Comarum palustre, 
Ranunculus flammula, R. lingua, Sium verticillatum, Scrophularia 
aquatica, Sisymbrium sylvestre, Hypericum elodes, Carex riparia’, 
G. caespitosa, C. vesicaria, C. davalliana, C. pulicaris, C. stellulata, 
C. curta, C. divisa, C. muricata, C. paniculata, C. oederia, C. flava, 
C. pilosa; Scutellaria galericulata, Pedicularis palustris, Viola palus- 
tris, Malaxis paludosa. Orchis latifolia, Carduus palustris, Gnapha- 
lium uliginosum, Senecio aquaticus. 
I conceive that the peat or mossy stratum formed on the tops of 
mountains is nourished by the mists condensed on their tops ; and 
that the bogs in a valley not immediately produced around or by a 
lake, are formed in the first place by musci intercepting the flow of 
water from a spring, and generating that spongy soil on which the 
second class of plants grow ; this kind of bog in many of our valleys 
may be seen to rise considerably higher in the middle than when 
the water is allowed to percolate more freely through the substance, 
and flow off whenever drains are cut into this bog, when its increase 
is stopped and a very great depression mostly takes place. The 
surface is then apparently converted into a soil fit for the husband- 
man to begin to work upon; but all those who have speculated on 
this soil, have soon found that without great expense for manure 
the productiveness soon failed and disappointed their hopes.” 
