62 THREE DAYS IN CAERNARVONSHIRE. 



inn, and then shaped our course in the direction of the Castle. On the 

 way we collected a little more Dlphyscium foliosum, intermixed with Pogon- 

 Kttum alvides, and on the slate rocks in the wood below the Castle Hi/pnum 

 elegans in considerable abundance, and Mnium hornum^ undulatum, and 

 pundatum and Hypnum loreum. The Castle, consisting only of a single 

 circular ivy- covered tower, is situated on a rock on the bank of Llyn Peris. 

 From this rock I have specimens of Hedwigidium imberbe, collected by my 

 esteemed friend Mr. Nowell, of Todmorden, but was not fortunate enough 

 to find it for myself. 



After visiting this place we ascended a hill, called the "Foot of Snowdon," 

 where Hypnuin scorpoides grows on the moist rocks in huge masses, and 

 near the summit Campylopus longipilus and Andrcea Eothii are to be pro- 

 cured. Mr. Wilson, to whom I sent specimens of the Campylojms, remarks, 

 -s- o o "It should at any rate be called var. colons, for there is a total ab- 

 sence of the long diaphanous tips to the leaves which designate G. longipilus." 



We were much struck with a large patch of Allosorus crispus, the bright 

 green fronds of which contrasted finely with the grey rocks on which it grew. 

 I think I shall never forget the sights we saw, and the sounds we heard, 

 from that "misty mountain top," — the craggy rocks on which we stood, 

 behind us the sharp barren peaks of the mountains rising up to the clouds, 

 the picturesque ruins of Dolbadarn Castle in the valley beneath, and beyond 

 it the deep waters of Llyn Peris, whilst further still might be seen the 

 slate quarries, dug deep in the interior of the mountain. But hark! that 

 sound which strikes upon the ear, and echoes from crag to crag. It is 

 a blast of the horn from the quarries of AUt, Du! the signal which inti- 

 mates that the blasting operations have reached a crisis. If you are within 

 reach of danger, sauve qui pent. Then breaks out the rolling roar of 

 repeated reverberations, now echoing and re-echoing amongst the rocks and 

 mountains, and then dying slowly and gently away like the sounds of 

 distant thunder. 



Descending from the eminence on which we stood we again obtained 

 some exquisitely beautiful specimens of Splachnum ampullaccum, and as we 

 continued our downward route we had the pleasure of adding another species, 

 Macomilrium pratemum, to the contents of our tin. The form we col- 

 lected was in external appearance not very unlike Grinimia patens. On 

 a large stone in juxtaposition with Hymenophyllum Wilsoni we gathered a 

 quantity of the elegant Jungermannia j uniperina. J. asplenoides and albicans 

 were common in several places. 



After dinner we walked on to see the falls of Caunant Mawr. We 

 entered the narrow dell — through which the stream flows — at its com- 

 mencement — 



"A stern and lone yet lovely road;" 



