352 Botanical Exciirsio7is into tJie Highlands. 



left Edinburgh on the 28th of July, and proceeded directly to 

 Kirkton, Clova. We remained there till the 7th of August, when 

 part returned to Forfar, while the rest went to Glen Isla, and 

 thence we proceeded on the 9th across the mountains directly to 

 the station of Carex Vahlii, at the head of Glen Callader, and 

 passing down the glen, reached Castletown. Here our short but 

 most interesting excursion terminated : I was obliged to set off for 

 Edinburgh early next morning. Our fortune in regard of wea- 

 ther was the very reverse of that of the party which had preceded 

 us. It was hot, calm, and, without an exception worth noticing, 

 fair. We were therefore enabled to adhere to our resolution to 

 devote almost our whole time to visiting new ground ; and the 

 only old stations which we went to were Loch Brandy; the 

 birch trees at the top of Glen Dole ; the rocks on which the 

 Astragalus alpinus, the Oxytropis campestris, and the Carex 

 Vahlii severally grow. Among the fruits of this resolution ex- 

 hibited in the following list, I would particularly point to a pro- 

 fusion of Lychnis alpina, not seen before, except by Mr Don ; 

 to five new stations for Sonchus alpinus; to abundance of Gen- 

 tiana nivalis, never before found in Britain, excepting on Ben 

 Lawers, and there only sparingly, and at long intervals, by two 

 or three lucky botanists ; to Thlaspi alpestre, new to Scotland ; 

 to the frequency of Malaxis paludosa, in various stations ; and 

 to Carex rariflora, gathered to satiety in all the bogs at a par- 

 ticular elevation on one range of mountains, though, before this 

 season, two stations only were known for it. These discoveries 

 are accompanied with a consideration which multiplies many 

 times the pleasure which I derive from them. The late inde- 

 fatigable Mr Don of Forfar, by his unceasing researches among 

 the Clova mountains, made many, little expected, additions to 

 the British Flora. Doubts were stated as to these being really 

 indigenous, and explanations, the reverse of charitable, were 

 oflPered of their appearance in places which Mr Don was wont 

 to visit. That a plant stated to be noticed by Mr Don had not 

 been re-discovered after his death, was not a reasonable ground 

 for doubting his good faith ; but it cannot be denied, that co- 

 lour was given to these suspicions by the re-discovery of Soil- 

 chus alpinus in one station only, without a seedling appearing, 

 though the station was such as seemed to insure the dispersion 



