ivi Dr. Balfour's Botanical Excursion. 



England. It is often found on alpine limcstono rocks. It is met with 

 near the summits of the mountains in Wales, Westmoreland, and 

 Scotland. I have specimens from Raven-scar Walden, and from 

 Teesdale in Yorkshire. In marshy spots near the shore we observed 

 Hypericum elodes, Sparganium ramosum, (Enanthe Lachenalii, a 

 common plant in the west, and Samolus Valeraudi ; while in fields 

 Papaver dubium and Lamium iutermedium were abundant. The only 

 other plants of interest romarked in this locality were Radiola mille- 

 grana, Ononis arvensis, Atriplex laciniata and rosea, Cerastium atro- 

 virens, Cakile maritima, Trifolium arvense, and Eleocharis pauciflora. 



After a thorough examination of the sandy shore, the party pro- 

 ceeded towards some slaty rocks, where Sedum Rhodiola and Asple- 

 nium marinum were found. Here the two divisions were to have 

 joined, but by some mistake no union was effected, and in our search 

 for each other a still farther separation took place. Moreover, the 

 day which had been gloomy now exhibited a pluvious tendency, 

 and ere long rain descended in torrents so as to damp in some mea- 

 sure the ardour of the party, and in the course of the afternoon there 

 was seen a solitary botanist wending his way through the marshes and 

 bogs with his habiliments thoroughly saturated with moisture, and his 

 fingers so benumbed as scarcely to be fit for the effort of pulling a 

 plant; while parties of two and three, ignorant of their exact, position, 

 and anxious to get to comfortable quarters as soon as possible, pro- 

 ceeded by various devious paths to the nearest huts for information. 

 All fortunately reached their destination in the course of the evening, 

 — their arrivals occurring at various intervals, and their adventures 

 being very much diversified. 



The peat-bogs which were visited in the course of the day lie be- 

 tween Kilchoman and Loch Gruinart. They are very wet, and in 

 many places quite impassable in rainy weather, so that it required 

 considerable dexterity on the part of the traveller to avoid being 

 immersed up to the shoulders. This is particularly the case with the 

 boggy ground near the western extremity of Loch Gurim. In these 

 localities Scirpus lacustris, Sparganium simplex, Ranunculus aquati- 

 lis, Peplis Portula, Schoenus nigricans, Drosera rotundifolia, anglica 

 and longifolia, Utricularia minor, with its elegant vesicles, Rhyn- 

 chospora alba, Hippuris vulgaris, Scirpus Savii and setaceus, and the 

 delicate Pinguicula lusitanica were observed. Triglochin maritimum 

 was picked along with Scirpus lacustris about two miles from the shore. 

 A Salix resembling rosmarinifolius was also gathered. In all there were 

 320 Phanerogamous species noticed in the course of the day's walk. 



The roads in this part of the island were upon the whole good, but 

 they pass in some places over hilly districts. Potatoes seemed to 

 thrive well, and the fields gave excellent crops of oats. Near Islay 

 House there was a good field of wheat. The flax in the district was 

 not infested with Cuscuta. 



