A WEEK A.T GI.EN SHEE. 161 



and others resembled sandstone. On the way back 

 to the Spittal, I came over the shoulder of Creag 

 Leacach — a course I would advise no one to follow, 

 as I had about one mile of large quartz blocks to 

 pass over, every edge of which seemed to be as 

 sharp as a knife, and all I saw to interest me was 

 a peculiar black lichen which was growing on these 

 blocks. Canness and Canlochan Glens are very 

 similar, and their united streams become the River 

 Isla. Of Canness I can say but little, only having 

 been in it for about an hour. As the walk to its head 

 from the Spittal is pretty long, I made for the place 

 where Mulgedhnii alpiiiuin is said to grow, and 

 reached what appeared from the surrounding rocks 

 to be the eagle's eyrie. I saw an eagle, but none of 

 the thistle. Judging, however, from what I did see 

 of the glen, I think it is worthy of a few hours' 

 work. 



There are two fine corries on Glas Thulachan, 

 facing Glen Tatnich— a glen to the north-west of tlie 

 Spittal, in which the best plants of Betula nana are 

 to be found. I may say, in passing, that the sheep 

 seem to be particularly fond of tliis plant. Hieraciuni 

 calendulifloimvi has only as yet been found in the 

 larger of these two corries; but I could not find a 

 plant fit for collecfing, all being too far gone in 

 fruit. It is only at the head of this corrj-, too, that 

 Sacifraga nivalis is kncnvn to grow : and I did not 

 come upon it anywhere else, nor, I am told, did the 

 Scottish Alpine Club. Carn Mor would also make 

 another good day's work. 



Speaking generally, this district far exceeds any 

 place I have yet A'isited, as regards both quantity 

 and quality of its alpine plants. The difficulty of 

 getting to their habitat is 7iil as compared with the 

 Killin district. On the opposite side of the road 

 from the hotel, Aira montana and Arena pratensis, 

 var. alpina, are common plants ; while the fences 

 and rocks are s^Dotted with a lichen — probably 

 Umbilicaria fimbriata, which grows on the summits 



