242 Scottish Mountain Plants. [Sess. 



list or in the foregoing list, which have been found in 

 Highland lochs, but these will doubtless be recorded in due 

 time. 



At this meeting Mr T. C. Day read an extremely interest- 

 ing paper entitled " A Geological Eamble on Arthur's Seat." 

 The paper was illustrated by a large number of beautiful 

 lantern-slides. 



II.SOAIE FEATURES OF INTEREST IN 



SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN PLANTS. 



Bt Me D. S. fish. 



{Read December 20, 1905.) 



Mountainous countries are usually far more interesting than 

 those that are low-lying and flat. The climate varying with 

 altitude favours much variety of life. Many features, foreign 

 to the lowlands, crowd upon the observation. If charming 

 scenery or dreary solitude is wished for, — whether interested 

 in natural history, climbing, or sport, — mountains offer rich 

 ground for careful inquiry and keen observation. While 

 noting some of the more prominent features of mountain 

 plants in Scotland, it may be well to point out a few matters 

 of interest in connection with mountain vegetation generally. 



The floras of high mountains are usually very diversified. 

 The range of vegetation met with is, of course, widest on 

 mountains situated in equatorial countries, for there plants 

 occur from the tropical forest or plain up to the edge of the 

 summer snow-line. Between the extremes of a tropical and 

 a frigid temperature, a series of varied zones occur which 

 may, for illustration, be considered analogous to the zones 

 traversed in travelling from the equator towards the poles, 

 the poles being represented on high mountains by their snow- 

 covered summits. The features of a whole continent — its 

 different climates, the rocks and soils, the forests, grassy 



