The Scottish Naturalist. 55 



Gr. leiuophcia., Gr. subsquarrosa, Gr. Hartnianni, &c. Now it is 

 remarkable that on the chain of detached rocks of similiar geological 

 formation that stretch at intervals across Scotland from Dumbarton Rock 

 to Arthur's Seat through Stirling Castle Rock, are found members of the 

 same group of mosses, and nowhere else.* This group includes also the 

 the rare Tortida AluUeri. On the same rock have been detected minute 

 patches of Giypho/nitriu/n DaviAsii (Schwaeg. ) in a barren state. The 

 indefatigable researches of Mr. W. Gait and Mr. G. Thomson have 

 shown that the area of growth of this curious and interesting moss is much 

 more extended than was previously thought. It has been found on almost 

 all the basaltic trap-rocks that crop up at Dumbuck, hills behind Bowling, 

 Kilpatrick, round near Milngavie, thence backw^ard towards Killearn 

 as the Whangie. This constitutes what may be termed a somewhat 

 elevated table-land having a diameter of about 8 miles. More recently 

 this moss has been detected ou rocks of a corresponding formation in 

 the islands of Mull and Skye. 



"4th. Here and there throughout this district of Scotland are to be found 

 as elsewhere certain isolated plants that do not betray close affinities 

 to any others, and for whose intrusion it is difficult to give any feasible 

 explanation. The thought is apt to strike one that they are the remains of 

 a former flora that has nearly passed away, having served its turn in the 

 grand order of things. As these anomalies in the case of this district are 

 unusually interesting I propose to enumerate several ; and first amongst 

 these is Orthodontium gracile. 



" As every bryologist is aware, this moss, at the time of the publication 

 of Wilson's work on British mosses, had been found in three spots in 

 England and in one in Abyssinia, and nowhere else ; a fourth was found 

 in 1862 on sandstone in Lennoxtown Woods, where it fruits freely in 

 ]\Iarch and April. The area of growth is very restricted, not embracing 

 more than 3 or 4 square yards ; but it keeps its hold notwithstanding ad- 

 verse circumstances, for rocks of this formation are perhaps the least favour- 

 able to the growth and development of mosses and lichens of almost every 

 kind. 



" Didynnodon recwvifolius (Tayl.), on grassy slopes midway up BenVoir- 

 lich from Loch Lomond, is due to the late INIr. A. JSl'Kinlay. This is now 

 believed to be the only station in existence for this moss, as that on 

 Knockavohila, in Irleand, is extinct. Apart from the statement of ?vlr 

 M'Kinlay himself to the effect that he had no fear of the plant becoming 

 extinct on Ben Voirlich, I feel inclined to maintain that this habitat has 

 shared the fate of the Irish one, for on every occasion of a visit to the 

 mountain, I have devoted a share of my time to the rediscoveiy of the moss, 

 but hitherto without success. This is to be deplored, inasmuch as the death 



* On the trap rocks of the neighbourhood of Perth some of the members 

 of the same group occur ( Gr'vnmla lencopha:a, G. orbictdaris, G. subsquar- 

 rosa, &c. ) Stenton Rock, near Dunkeld, which is trappean, is also very 

 rich in Grinimia, a good many species being found within a few yards. — 

 Editor Sc. Nat. 



