298 TKANSACTIOXS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



Near this " are the ruins of a chapel erected, it is believed, 

 about the commencement of the twelfth century. The portion 

 of the building still remaining is used as the burying-place of 

 the Colquhouns of Luss."* Beside it is a Yew tree (Taxus 

 baccata), nearly as large as the one in Glen Finlas, being 13 ft. 

 2^ ins. in girth at 5 ft. ; bole, 10 ft.t 



Cruach Ardrax, 15th July, 1905. — Mr. Peter Ewing, F.L.S., 

 President, Conductor. — Six members attended at the rendezvous 

 (Crianlarich), but one of them preferred the botany of the 

 valley. Cruach Ardran is the central hill of a semi-circular 

 group flanking Glen Falloch on it-s eastern side, and command- 

 ing, even at a very moderate altitude, a magnificent prospect 

 of Glen Falloch, Glenorchy, Strathfillan, and part of the Black 

 Mount. The etymology of the name is obscure. " Cruach " 

 seems to have reference to its appearance — stack-shaped — and 

 the nearest approach to an explanation of "' Ardran " seems to 

 be " the hill of plunder." The ascent was made from the southern 

 side of the hill, a rather long and uneventful slope having to be 

 traversed before reaching the great outcrop of rocks on which 

 the real work of the day was begun. These slope gradually 

 upward, the lower much moister than the higher groups, but 

 both yielding a good proportion of the forms we were in search 

 of. The rocks are schistose, very much interspersed with diorite. 

 Considering the dry nature, generally speaking, of the upper 

 rocks — those situated about 2,500 feet — and the fact that those 

 of a moister nature only reached the altitude of about 2,000, 

 one would be surprised at the list of alpine plants that could be 

 made. Here Arahis petrcea seems to attain its southern limit, 



* Irviug. Book of Dumbartonshire. 



tThe following measurements of trees at Rossdhu were taken on 5th 

 September, 1905, by Messrs. John Renwick and James Whitton : — Castanea 

 saliva, Mill, near Glen Finlas Lodge, 11 ft. in girth at 5 ft., the bole being 

 14 ft. ; Thuja gigantea (the one referred to in report above), height 

 58 ft. ; Abieit canadtnsis, near Glen Finlas Lodge, 6 ft. 4 ins. in girth at 



4 ft. from ground, mth a bole of 5 ft., at which point the trunk divides 

 into four ; Ahits grandis, near mansion-house, 7 ft. 11 ins. in girth, at 5 ft. 

 from ground ; Cedrun deodara, in same vicinity, 6 ft. 10 ins. in girth at 



5 ft. from ground ; Pinus strobus, on east side of avenue, S ft. in girth at 

 5 ft. , bole 50 feet, height 67 ft. 



