/2 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



flowers solitary or in pairs. The flower is slit only to a third 

 of its length and is lilac in colour. Soldanella pusilla has a 

 rather stiff appearance, and resembles a small specimen 

 of Campanula pulla. Its leaves are cordate reniform. 

 S. minima, Hoppe, is very small, and comparatively rare. It 

 is generally found in bloom along the damp ground near the 

 snow. I found, a few years ago, a large colony of this plant, 

 consisting of thousands, in which the leaves are almost micro- 

 scopic, while the ground seemed covered with the white drooping 

 bells. This colony was made up of a pure snow-white variety. 

 This genus is exceedingly interesting to the botanist, for, while 

 it is found plentifully flowering near the snow, it is also found 

 lying under the ice edge, the flowers formed, and simply await- 

 ing release to spread out. 



Primula. 



This forms one of the most beautiful and interesting genus 

 of alpine plants. Much difficulty has arisen in the naming of 

 the species of the Primula, through the prevalence of hybridisa- 

 tion amongst them, and text-books are at variance as regards 

 the nomenclature. With a few exceptions, every species is 

 provided with different names by different authorities, until 

 the position has become completely puzzling. 



The following arrangement has been adopted by one writer 

 as a matter of convenience : — 



1. Yellow flowers. 



2. Red or violet flowers, leaves mealy. 



3. Purple, lilac, or violet flowers, leaves glabrous, not mealy. 



4. „ ,, „ „ „ cartilaginous margins, 



not mealy. 



5. „ „ „ „ „ downy on both sides, 



not mealy. 

 Very common on the lower slopes, Primula elatior, Jacq., is 

 found, and on the rocks, well up (8,000 feet). Primula auricula, 

 L., grows — a very attractive plant in its natural haunts, with 

 a delightful perfume. Along the edge of the melting snow, in 

 many districts, is found very plentifully P. integrifolia, Linn., a 

 very low-growing species, with two lilac flowers on each plant. 

 The corolla of this species is deeply bifid. In the Engadine there 



