of the Mosses in Aberdeenshire. 301 



size, associated with Drosera anglica, D. rotundifolia, Schoenus 

 nigricans, Lycopodium selaginoides and others. I have also seen 

 it of very small size in the vicinity of Ballater, forty-two miles 

 inland, and about 900 feet above the sea-level, where it was dis- 

 covered by Mrs. Mackay. S. mnioides and S. spharicum are 

 found upon the hill of Fare, thirteen miles west from Aberdeen ; 

 the former is the rarer of the two in that locality, but occurs 

 lowest, viz. at 450 feet of elevation ; the other is abundant near 

 the top of the hill at 1000 feet, growing in moist places upon 

 droppings of cattle. In the same locality, my friend Mr. James 

 Barron found the carcase of a grouse completely incrusted with 

 very large specimens. The most elevated point at which I have 

 seen S. sphcsricum in this county is on the highest table-land 

 above Glen Callater. S. mnioides grows on the summit of Loch- 

 nagar at 3800 feet, where I have found it in tufts, each inclo- 

 sing a fragment of bone. The same species occurs in great pro- 

 fusion in the different glens leading to the base of Ben-na-Muich- 

 Dhu, the ground being literally sprinkled over with large tufts 

 of it j the red-deer are numerous in these glens, and the species 

 in question finds a suitable soil on their droppings. S. tenue 

 appears to be rare in this county ; I have seen it in Glen Callater 

 in small quantity, and at an elevation of about 1600 feet. The 

 range of S. angustatum has not been very accurately ascertained, 

 being probably from 3000 to 3000 feet ; nor that of S, vasculo- 

 sum, which may however be about the same. I have searched 

 in vain for S. Frodichianum, mentioned in the * British Flora ' on 

 the authority of Mr. Dickson as growing on Bennachie, or Ben- 

 High as it is sometimes called. This hill is about twenty miles 

 west from Aberdeen, rising rather abruptly from the surround- 

 ing country, and attaining 1700 feet of elevation. 



Lowest. Highest. 



S. ampullaceum 100 feet. QOOfeet. 



— mnioides , 450 3800 (highest?) 



— sphaericum 1000 3000 



— tenue 1600 ? 



— vasculosum 2000 3000? 



— angustatum 2000 3000? 



— Froelichianum 800? 1700? 



The first three only of these (keeping out of view ^. Froelichianum) 

 occur within the limits of cultivation ; the second exceeds all the 

 others in altitudinal range. 



Conostomum horeale. I have never seen it under 2000 feet ; 

 it attains the summit of Lochnagar (3800), which however is 

 probably not its upper limit. Mr. Edmondstone informed me 

 that in Shetland it grows near the sea with Grimmia maritima. 



Weissia pusilla is abundant on limestone in the bed of a stream 

 at the head of Glen Gairden : the height (not having my sympie- 



