^58 



Botanical Excursions into the Highlands. 



Upper limit of Myrica gale, 



Fteris aquilina, 

 Erica cinerea, 

 Calluna vulgaris, 

 Empetrum nigrum, 

 Lower limit of Carex rigida. 



Azalea procumbens. 

 The highest stations of — 

 Ulex europteus, 

 Lonicera Periclymenum, 

 Corylus Avellana, 

 Cytisus Scoparius, 



Taking Braemar as the standard, it is found, from the ave- 

 rage of the first table, that a similar dimate in Clova is 125 

 feet above this ; while at Fort William it is 269, and at Tongue 

 595 feet below it. The difference is greater at lower elevations, 

 so that vegetation, both natural and cultivated, is very litde 

 better near the sea-level at Tongue than we find it at a thousand 

 feet above this on the banks of the Dee. The influence of si- 

 tuation is well exemplified by the fact that Empetruiii nigrum^ 

 under the steep snow rocks on the northern side of Ben Nevis, 

 fails 600 feet below its height on the western side ; and Cal- 

 luna vulgaris^ on the northern precipitous slope of Cairn Ga- 

 ridh, ceases 400 feet below its limit on the western declivity of 

 the same mountain. In our ascent, we find the following plants 

 about 1500 feet below Carex rigida : 



Saxifraga aizoides. Tofieldia palustris. 



Alchemilla alpina. Epilobium alsinifolium. 



Oxyria reniformis. Carex capillaris. 



About 500 feet higher up, we begin to see 



Luzula spicata. Silene acaulis. 



Thalictrum alpinum. Potentilla alpestris. 



Saxifraga oppositifolia. Dryas octopetala. 

 Rhodiola rosea. 



ticularly struck with the rapid descent of alpine vegetation as he went west. 

 He found at the sea level, on limestone cliffs at Loch Erriboll, Careoe capil- 

 laris^ Draha incanuj Saxifraga oppositifolia^ and Dryas octopetala ; and the three 

 last equally low at Farr, but they were not seen at Tongue. The neigh- 

 bourhood of the north shore enables Pingtdcula Itisitanica, generally confined 

 to the west coast, to grow a considerable way to the eastward. I formerly 

 gathered it on Ben Hope, and Mr Watson found it still farther east, at 

 Strathey — ^R. G.) 



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