silky fibres, forming large masses around the roots, may probably
be the plant feto brun (brown fern), reported by Vandelli to
Murphy, and mistaken for a fern. I could not even hear of this
fern, which, he says, is only found in Madeira, and produces fibres
of so fine a texture on the back of its fronds, that they may be
woven into a beautiful material for clothing. Here I had an opportunity
of remarking, that it is the Norway rat, (mus decumanus,)
which inhabits the interior of the island, although it only arrived
in Europe in the eighteenth century8;.and, that the bat is more
than specifically distinct from all those which have, as yet, been
described, for it has four pointed incisors above (two by the side
of each canine, with a large interval between), and six small incisors
below, with three indentations in each. It forms a new sub-genus
between pharopus and cephalotes, and may be natned, nyctalus
verrucosush.
As I approached the heights which conduct to the brink of the
Coural, the chesnut-trees formed entire woods, and presented the
richest autumnal tints ; the salix rubra, and a great variety of
plants margined the streams, over which waved a beautiful fern,
frequently six feet in length ; the asperula aparine attached itself
to my clothes as I walked along, the violets abounded on the
banks, and the splendid bella donna lily' presented itself in various
« Cuvier, Règne Animal, t. I. p. 197.
h NaxraXof, noctem amans. Suid : de Diogen. Cyn. The Iqper Cdnines have a
heel. The muzzle and oreillettes are simple ; the ears are equal to the depth of the
head in length, and present clusters of orange warts on the outer part, and à few
within. It has a nail, and extra joint to the forefinger; three joints to the middle
finger, two to the others. The interfemoral membrane (not notched, but triangular)
reaches to within one line of the end of the tail, which is within it :—width, from
the tip of one wing to the other, 1 If in., from the muzzle to the tip of the tail 41 in.,
colour, dusky brown.
1 Lilium Madeirense. Calyce campanulato, laciniis subrectis basi subconniVen-
tibus, sulco longitudinali, nectarifero nudo. Staminibus 6; filamentibus maequalibus,
directions, raising its bright pink blossoms, which formed a beautiful
contrast to its dark-coloured stem ; this last plant especially
contributed to give the landscape the appearance of a ruined
garden. I gathered several fungi amongst the thick turf; one of
them was the common mushroom, but € did not hear of its being
eaten, and my guides expressed great alarm at my touching any
of them. The agaricus found amongst the chesnut-trees, grows
to an enormous size ; and. another in the same locality answered
to the description of the a. aurantius, or the jaseron of the French.
The most remarkable, was one with a pale yellowish bark, wrinkled,
and full of small warts ; 'it had no stem above ground, nor did it
appear to have a volva : when- divided, the inner part was greasy
and firm, and of a deep black ; the peasantry believe it to be a
dreadful poison, even to the touchk. The clavaria grows to a large
size, and is very abundant ; it does not confine itself to laurels alone;
but appears also on the chesnuts, or perhaps, any large tree.
Having reached almost the highest part of the road within view,
and being 3700 feet above the sea, you turn to the right, and
walking over a gentle ascent of thick turf, covered with broom
bushes, (on which the waving bags of a small spider are thickly
suspended), the feet are in an instant arrested, with an involuntary
shudder, and you tremble with surprise and awful admiration on
the brink of a tremendous precipice, 1634 feet deep. The basaltic
imis laciniis calycinis insertis, antheris striatis, arcuatis, capsnla trigona, trivalvis
(duæ sæpe abortivæ,) polysperma. : Seminibus planibus, caul© nudo compresso.
spatha 2 phylla. Foliis radicalibus deciduis. Floribus corymbosis roseis. This
plant has been figured m Curtis's Magazine, as the amaryllis bella donna. The position
of the germen is alone sufficient for me to 'placé it in the genus lilium, and
without this generic difference, the sèeds being without wings tvoûld. make it a distinct
species. Great doubts have been entertained as to its native country,, and it has
been successively given to the feast Indies, Africa, N. America, and Brazil. It has
already been introduced into England, but lost several times.
k Genus. Globus-nudus, sessilis, verrucosus, eoriaoeus, intus camosas, com-'
pactus, pingnis, ater. Fructift, ,ignota<