396 WILD FLOWERS OF 



vast shadowy precipices of Arran frowning directly in 

 front. Crossing the bog towards the cliffs, I soon 

 perceived a deep hollow within which a lake, some- 

 what in the form of a figure of 8, lay partially shrouded 

 in deep shadow, the solemn cliffs above being reflected 

 in gloom, while a continual ripple agitated the waters. 

 Broken rocks of all sizes formed a fitting frame for 

 this mountain llyu, and among these its surplus 

 waters rushed through at the extremity at which I 

 approached it by a gulley that deepened in its pro- 

 gress towards the valley. A blaze of sunshine flickered 

 in front of the extending shadow of the black preci- 

 pices, lighting up the margin of the lake, and showing 

 a great quantity of green Plantain Shoreweed (JLitto- 

 rella lacustris) piled along the shore. The darkened 

 surface of the llyn looked sad as hopeless despair, but 

 on the very verge of the deep shadow a brilliant ray 

 of light awakened a little silver cruciferous flower that 

 on the margin of the sable water glittered like a 

 cottage window in the glories of sunset, or an icicle 

 on a rock amidst wintry gloom. So minute as to be 

 else unseen, I marked it in a moment, and found it 

 to be the fairy Awlwort (Subularia aquatica), a highly 

 curious little plant, found only on the margins or 

 even at the bottom of alpine lakes, where it flowers 

 though its corolla is quite unprotected and not diffe- 

 rent from, those of other tetradynamous flowers. The 

 leaves are few, all radical and awl-shaped, resembling 

 those of Isoetes, another inhabitant of mountain tarns. 

 Leaving the lake I skirted the base of the precipices 

 for some distance, gradually mounting among the 

 rocks as the opportunity presented itself among Crake- 

 berries (Empetrimi nigruni), and coarse grasses ; and 



