60 | THE PLANTS OF THE GRAMPIANS. 
and other places where these fragile instruments would incur 
a greater risk of knocks, rubs, or shakes; yet such are the 
places most frequented by collectors. For the most part also, 
the relative heights of plants can be more correctly ascer- 
tained on the gradual declivities, table lands, and summits, 
than amongst rocks and precipices; and thus upon the spots 
least interesting to collectors, the measuring botanist requires 
to spend his time, making frequent stoppages, and patiently 
awaiting the gradual equalisation of temperature in his in- 
struments. So little, indeed, can the two objects be united, 
that I have seldom carried more than a small pocket box of 
six inches in length, lest the sympiesometer should be broken 
by a blow from the larger vasculum, such as collectors usually 
carry strapped over their shoulders. This shunning of the 
rocks has its disadvantages in another way, as may be seen 
in the subjoined list of altitudes; namely, that the heights 
of the alpine plants growing on rocks are given vaguely, an 
often understated ; because, while carrying the sympieso- 
meter, I could seldom scramble up to see how high they 
were growing. 
To return to the more immediate object of the present 
paper. In the annexed list are set down the names of most 
of the plants to be found about the Grampian mountains, 
between Ben Nevis and Breadalbane, to the westward, and 
Cairngorum and Clova, to the eastward. Following the - 
names, are some of the highest stations at which I have seen 
the plants, usually three, as many as could be conveniently | 
introduced into a single line of print; but some of the plants - 
I have not seen in so many places. The figures show the 
heights in English feet; but they are mostly omitted in the ` 
latter part of the list, where the names of Dalwhinnie, Cas : 
tleton, Dalnacardoch, &c. are used. These were stations ` 
from which excursions were made to the neighbouring hills; 
and they are introduced into the list when I have seen the 
plants about the inns or villages so named, but have made 
no note that they were observed much above those places 
As the same indication of height would consequently always ` 
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