JUNE. 
173 
some of the wines produced from the Crimean Grape may vie in flavour 
with some of the best of France. The general vegetation of the Crimea 
is extremely luxuriant. A few days after the disappearance of the 
snow, the plants begin to spring up all around, as if by magic ; and 
when I left in May, you could walk literally on a carpet of flowers. 
As regards geological formation, I may remark that the pre¬ 
dominant rock in the southern portion of the Crimea is limestone; 
this varies from the hard limestone of Balaclava to the shelly chalk of 
Inkerman ; about Kamara, the hills are chiefly composed of conglome¬ 
rate, and the soil below seems to be formed of this rock, decomposed 
and reduced to powder by the action of the heavy rains and frost. 
Near Tchergoum sandstone is plentiful; here the Tchernaya pursues 
its course between banks of soft sandstone for some distance. From 
the Mackenzie and Feduichine hills, whose aspect is southerly and 
exposed to the full force of storms of wind and rain from the west and 
south-west, the soil has been washed away and their cretaceous 
composition exposed, their white sides contrasting strongly with the 
darker colour of the dome shaped hill of Jura limestone, or oolite, which 
bound the numerous ravines or valleys at their base. In most of the 
rocks are fossil remains of marine animals, proving clearly the once 
submerged condition of the country; blocks of greenstone are found, 
containing ammonites from an inch to a foot, or even more, in diameter, 
of many species, besides many univalves and bivalves, amongst which 
Nautilus and Ostrea abound. Detached boulders of granite are also 
found here and there on the surface. 
One of the first plants to make its appearance in the Crimea and 
herald the approach of spring is the Snowdrop ; this is almost precisely 
the same as our English one, only it struck me that the leaves are 
generally much wider. This is succeeded by the Crocus, which covers 
the hills, and which is not the saffron Crocus, as stated by some persons 
writing from the Crimea. Just as the gay flowers of the Crocus are 
disappearing, Violets and Primroses flower in great profusion ; some of 
the latter are extremely beautiful, being all shades of pink and lilac. 
It is the beginning of April, and the hills are now covered by the bright 
blue flowers of the Scilla bifolia, forming a pleasing contrast with the 
beautiful green carpet from which they spring. The Mercurialis 
perennis and Ranunculus Ficaria now cover most of the hills, and the 
Asplenium Trichomanes and A. Ruta muraria are found on most of the 
shady rocks, along with another Fern, which is, I think, peculiar to 
the Crimea. About a mile from Kamara, in a northerly direction, are 
some rocks, called by the men the “ Beehive Rocks ; ” at their foot the 
Fumaria cava grows with brilliant yellow flower. On ascending the 
rock, I found an old tree covered with Polypodium vulgare, which I at 
once appropriated to myself. The Euphorbia amygdaloides is plentiful 
amongst the brushwood which covers the hills, together with many 
other species. 
May comes in, and the vegetable kingdom receives fresh vigour from 
the beautiful weather that we then enjoy; the earth is beautifully 
variegated with the different species of Veronica, Salvia, Vicia, 
Lathyrus, and the different species of Orchis, which grow to a great 
