392 JOTTINGS ON THE CLOVA MOUNTAINS. 
a few ripe capsules; most of the plants however were males. The outer 
margin of the patch was fringed with a fine brown border of Peltidea 
polydactyla, beautifully contrasting with the rich green of Splachnum 
mnioides, and the central patch of Splachnum angustatum, of a pale 
brown dotted with the reddish capsules. 
The spot was on the southern flank of one of “the Paps of Loch- 
nagar,” and on the boulders around I observed in great profusion, and 
richly fruited, the curious Cornicularia lanata and Parmelia Fahlunensis, 
also in fruit. On the grassy wettish slopes Hieracium nigrescens was 
very fine, and at the source of a spring Jungermannia juniperina with 
stems from five to six inches in length. On the stream that descends 
from Lochnagar to Prince Albert’s shooting-lodge on Loch Muick, P oly? 
. podium alpestre occurred, and abundance of Rubus Chamaemorus with ripe 
fruit; this fruit is highly prized by the Highlanders for its flavour, and 
is sometimes used medicinally. To me the flavour appears more nearly 
to resemble that of half-rotten gooseberries than anything else, accom- 
panied with a certain greasy odour, and anything but agreeable; yet 
eustom may reconcile one to its defects, and even render it pleasant, 
especially where the choice is so limited*. The colour certainly is very 
tempting,—at first a pale green, suffused with red on the side next the 
sun, at length, when ripe, a pale transparent yellow, the exposed side 
reddish-orange: the finer specimens are nearly an inch in diameter, and, 
when contrasted with the bleak, barren flats on which they grow, are 
very beautiful. The stem is erect, but so slender that the weight of the 
ripe fruit eventually bends it over till the fruit rests on the ground. 
Cornus Suecica is very plentiful on Lochnagar, in the sheltered, 
grassy hollows, along the streams and around the margin of the loch; 
in the latter locality still in flower (August 9th). : 
-. On the summit of the cliffs, Cladonia vermicularis is plentiful on the 
bare soil; the principal vegetation around consisting of Juncus trifidus, 
which here seems to have a higher range than Trichostomum lanuginosum. 
On the dry slopes the beautiful Azalea procumbens was still in bloom. 
Descending the ravine on the north side, Sazifraga rivularis occurred 
on the damp rocks, along with abundance of the small form of Po/ypo- 
dium alpestre, the larger form occurring at the base of the cliffs along 
$ We have, just-reccired. o. largo jar of these Berries (Moltebacr, Norm) from, 
friend in Norway, where they are much prized s apie and, eaten with cream 
and sugar, we can pronounce them —Ep. 
