OCTOBER. 451 



pliylla), so confervoid in its aspect, and the delicate 

 curious Filmy Fern Symenopliyllum Wilsoni. In our 

 way back to Llanberis we visited the terrific black 

 precipice called Clogwyn Du Yr Arddu, at whose base 

 lies the green lake, so called from the colour of its 

 waters, impregnated by the ore of a neighbouring 

 copper mine. Descending this precipice at its most 

 assailable point, we got to its base, looking back, not 

 without awe, upon cracked and yawning masses above, 

 that seemed ready to take a downward plunge without 

 much notice. Here Arabis hispida, a plant noticed 

 long ago by EAT, was still very abundant.* 



Crossing the stream that supplies the waterfall of 

 Caunant Mawr, the head of Cwm Brwynog presented 

 a singular scene of desolation, of some interest to a 

 geologist. Here lay, in chaotic confusion, a ruin of 

 nature's own formation vast slabs and massive frag- 

 ments piled upon each other, as if Pandemonium had 

 been upturned from its foundations, and riven by the 

 thunderbolts of vengeance and destruction. And 

 what was especially remarkable, all these masses had 

 been, in the lapse of time, so corroded by rains and 

 tempests, as to present the singula- appearance of 

 broken fluted cyclopean columns, more the work of art 

 than the accident of slow brumal and imbral action. 

 Amidst the examination of this labyrinth of stones, 

 the gloom of evening came rapidly on, and it was 

 verging towards the witching hour of night before I 

 was " at ease at mine inn." 



Since the last mentioned excursion was made I have 

 again ascended Snowdon, but took the difficult though 



* The Broad-leaved Alpine Chickweed (Cerastium latifolium,') also 

 grows on these rocks, and the Spiderwort (Lloydia or Anthericum aero- 

 tinum) has been recently gathered here. 



