The Brussels Congress of Botanists. 263 
sand dunes, with their “pannes” or marshy hollows and their 
cultivation, together with the salt marshes or “ schorres ” and the 
peat-deposits below the “ polders ” (recent alluvial deposits occupying 
a considerable area of country in North-west Belgium within the 
line of dunes), were examined. 
On Tuesday, May 17th a party visited the Agricultural Institute 
at Gembloux, under the guidance of M. Marchal, and afterwards 
the woods near Mazy on a very rich soil, derived from dolomitic 
rocks. These woods, which are largely of beech, have a rich and 
varied ground-vegetation very similar to that which we get in woods 
on deep calcareous soil in this country. 
On Wednesday there was an excursion in the valley of the 
Dendre, where the flora of sandy banks and arable fields was 
investigated. In and about alder woods on marshy alluvium 
Latlircea clandestina was most abundant in its northernmost 
European station on the roots of Popidus tnonilifera, Alnus 
glutinosa and Salix alba. 
On Thursday the sittings of the Congress were suspended, and 
a large party took train to Tamise and then went down the Escaut 
by steamer to Bornhem, where the relations of the tides to the 
vegetation of the river-banks were demonstrated. After examining 
the plants of the drainage-ditches of the adjoining “ polders,” the 
party re-embarked and descended to Antwerp. 
On Saturday an excursion was made to the banks of the Meuse 
at Tailfer and Profondeville, a few miles above Namur. Here the 
river cuts through lofty cliffs of dolomitic limestone, and the scene 
is very picturesque. The limestones are interbedded with non- 
calcareous schists, and the contrast between the vegetation of the 
two geological formations is very striking. On the sun-baked 
calcareous rocks is a wonderful collection of plants, most of them 
characteristic of our own chalk and limestone, but including several 
southern species such as Lactucaperennis and Sisymbrium austriacum. 
On Sunday afternoon a walk was arranged in the charming 
Foret de Soignes, with its varied soils and equally varied vegetation. 
After the close of the meeting, a three days’ excursion (May 
23rd to 25th) was made. Genck in the “Campine,” was first 
visited. This village lies in the midst of a sandy tract of flat 
country on the Dutch border, with much heath and inland dunes. 
In the depressions are shallow meres which are stocked with carp 
for a few years, then drained and oats sown on the mud left by the 
water. After two crops of oats have been taken off the depression 
is again flooded. The whole of this country is most interesting 
from the standpoint of its vegetation. 
The second day was spent in the valley of the Hoegne, near 
Spa. The upper part of this valley is filled with fine woodland of 
oak and birch with an interesting ground-flora including Polygonatum 
verticillatum and Trientalis europcea. The stream rises in a great 
tract of upland moor about 2,000 feet in altitude, (the Haute Fagne, 
adjoining the “ Hohe Venn ” of the northern Eifel) bearing vege¬ 
tation composed of Eriopliorum vaginatum, Scirpus ccespitosus and 
Sphagnum as a ground-work, with Vaccinium uligiuosum, Vitis-Idiva 
and Oxycoccos, Andromeda, Arnica montana, Trientalis europcca, 
Maianthemum bifolium, etc., etc. Later on the beautiful Herto- 
genwald round the artificial lake of Gileppe was visited. 
On the third day a visit was paid to the locality, near the 
