THE HIGH ALPINE FLORA OF BRITAIN 169 



sympiesometer, a barometric instrument ill adapted for 

 measurements on mountain ascents, which, even when ad- 

 justed for temperature at each stage of ascent, is not suited 

 for exact observation. As an illustrative instance it may be 

 mentioned that in his time Ben Macdhui was reputed to be 

 the highest mountain in Scotland. The arrangement here 

 followed is that of Torre and Harms's Index to Engler and 

 Prantl's "System" for families and genera, and the last German 

 edition of Koch's "Synopsis" (1892-1907) for species for the 

 most part ; but in the reverse order, beginning with the 

 highest groups of flowering plants, as is usual in British 

 floras. A good deal remains to be done in working out 

 the distribution of the high alpine plants on the Scottish 

 mountains, as the unstarred names in the list of summits 

 show. It is hoped that the present outline of recorded data 

 may serve as a basis for botanical alpinists, who may com- 

 bine the exercise of climbing with field-study, considerably 



to enlarge its scope. 



( To be continued. ) 



ADDITIONS TO THE FLORA OF THE 



ORKNEYS. 



By ARTHUR BENNETT, F.L.S. 



MR. M. SPENCE, a resident on the islands, has lately sent me 

 numerous specimens of Orkney plants to look over, among 

 which I have found a few additions to the recorded species. 

 With these I have added some others which have accrued 

 since the Supplement to "Top. Botany," ed. 2. 



Ranunculus Steveni, Andrz., Trail. 

 R. sceleratus, L., Dr. Grant, ex Spence!. 

 Fumaria purpurascens, Pugsley, Trail, 

 Trifolium dubium, Sibth., Spence, sp. 



In rounded brackets in " Top. Bot." ; but Mr. Spence says 

 certainly wild. 



fLupinus nootkatensis, Donn, Trail, 

 Alchemilla filicaulis, Buser, "Ann. Scot. N. Hist" (1906), 122. 



