HEPATIC/E OF THE BREADALBANE RANGE 235 



HEPATIC^ OF THE BREADALBANE RANGE. 



By P. EWING, F.L.S. 



THAT tract of country forming a very large part of the 

 Watsonian Vice-County known as Mid- Perth, and the more 

 mountainous portion of it known as Breadalbane, has been 

 much wrought and reported on as far as its botany generally 

 is concerned, but its Hepaticae seem to have been left 

 alone. Why this should be so I cannot tell, but possibly 

 one very strong reason is that which has hitherto kept me 

 from putting the knowledge I have gained of the order 

 during the last fifteen years into permanent form, namely 

 the want of literature on the subject of such a kind as to 

 tempt me away from other botanical studies. We cannot 

 say we have, got satisfactory literature even yet, so far as 

 the critical species are concerned ; but of recent years Mr. 

 Macvicar has supplied what has proved to me of far greater 

 value, namely that kindly help, and those valuable remarks 

 regarding specific differences, which only one of his critical 

 acumen could give. 



The larger forms I have collected all these years, but 

 it was only three years ago, after a day or two spent with 

 Mr. Macvicar on the hills already referred to, that I began 

 to pay any serious attention to the smaller forms which are 

 so abundant on the exposed parts of the mountains. 



The area indicated seems to lend itself admirably to the 

 requirements of this class of plants, embracing as it does 

 shady woods, alpine heights, and a great number of streams 

 forming in many cases fairly deep ravines, and draining 

 large tracts of bog land. A glance at the Geological map 

 of the Ordnance Survey will at once show that the rock 

 formation is as varied as the scenery, and judging from the 

 rapid decomposition of its surface, it is probable that lime 

 plays a very important part in its composition and may 

 account to some extent for the varied flora, although on the 

 almost pure limestone outcrops the number of species likely 

 to find the conditions most suitable for their growth on this 

 type of rock are not so numerous as one might expect, or 

 at least they have not as yet been detected. 



