our ride of the previous day, as we ascended from our camp to the foot of the ancient moraine, and everywhere saw conspicuous plants peculiar to the middle and lower zones of the Great Atlas. Our first impression was that the proportion of such endemic species was larger in this part of the valley than in the higher zone; but this was due to the fact, that so many more of those inhabiting the lower zone strike the eye by their greater size and by the brilliancy of their flowers. When we came to examine our collections with the requisite care, we found that about one-seventh of all the species found in the middle region of this valley is made up of peculiar endemic species, while the proportion of the same element in the higher region rises to one-fifth.[1] We were especially struck by the complete absence of new generic types. There were, indeed, but two species seen in this valley belonging to North African genera—_Callitris_ and _Lotononis_—that do not extend to Europe. All the rest are referable to European types, of which the large majority extend to the central and north-western parts of our continent. No representatives of tropical and sub-tropical types, such as are seen in Arabia, Persia, and Northern India, are here to be found. During our absence on the 13th, a courier had arrived from Mogador, with letters from M. Carstensen. The man had first gone to Marocco, and thence, for the most part following our track, had found us in our Atlas head-quarters, and was well pleased with the trifling pay of a few shillings for the journey. To-day another courier made his appearance, bearing answers to the letter despatched to El Graoui, on the morning of the 12th, so that we had no reason to complain of remissness on his part. Probably for the purpose of shifting an unpopular measure from his own shoulders, the wary old Governor forwarded a letter from the Viceroy, expressly sanctioning our stay in the Aït Mesan valley, for as long a time as should be required for the objects of our journey. Along with this, El Graoui wrote to Hooker, expressing a hope that our stay would not be prolonged more than was really necessary, inasmuch as the villages of the valley were very poor. Further provision was made to meet Maw’s desire to return to England, and an order sent that two soldiers should be detached from our escort to accompany him to Mogador.