40 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



birds frequent, and which are covered with their excrements, 

 the leaves of the Thrift become larger ; and Rumex Acetosa 

 and Plantago maritinm appear to benefit by the excess of 

 nitrates, so luxuriant do they become. In the fissures of the 

 gullies Ligusticum scoticum is frequent, and the large flowers 

 of Matricaria inodora, var. pliceocephala, are a great adornment. 

 Anthyllis abounds on the edges of the more sunny cliffs^ 

 where there is little competition. On the flat tract of low- 

 land sand a form of Vicia sepiiun^ which is small and quite 

 appressed to the ground, is common. In the almost bare 

 moist sand by the river Carex incurua and a slender form of 

 C. arenaria occur. In the marshes and on the moister parts 

 of the cliff turf Orchis latifolia of a magnificent colour is to 

 be seen. Rosa spinosissima occurs on the rocks, but the 



* \ 



season was too backward to make it worth while to collect 

 the varieties of the Roses which are numerous here. 



In Caithness, which I only visited in order to collect the 

 Calamagrostis which has been recorded by Mr. A. Bennett 

 as C. strigosa, I found the plant which Prof. Hackel named 

 neglecta for me some years ago in the old locality on the site 

 of Loch Durran, but alas, sadly dwindled in quantity, and it 

 is practically doomed. Near it Mr. A. J. Evans showed me 

 the still smaller patch of " strigosa " in Grant's locality. 

 Subsequently, I visited Loch Watten where I saw " strigosa" 

 in the locality visited by Hanbury and Marshall, in very 

 considerable quantity, and in excellent condition. I also 

 found the same plant by Loch Scarmclett in considerable 

 quantity, the locality being 89 feet above sea-level. I 

 have not yet made a critical examination of these plants to 

 see if two species occur ; but I may say the term " caespitose," 

 which is given as a character of C. strigosa by Messrs. Groves, 

 does not fit any of these plants, the Caithness plants 

 having an extensively creeping rootstock, so intermixed with 

 the rhizomes of sedges, etc., as to prevent any adequate 

 rooting specimens being obtainable for the herbarium. 

 Later on I will report on them. 



Thalictrum dunense, Dum. Plentiful on the sand-dunes at Betty- 

 hill. 



Thalictrum alpinum, L. East side, Ben More, Assynt 107. 



