FLORA OF ARROCHAR MOUNTAINS. - 85 
In order, however, to indicate the general effect of a greater 
altitude, I may give one more such list, this time representing a 
typical alpine pasture at 3,000 feet on Ben Ime:— 
Silene acaulis (forming cushions here Viola palustris. 
and there to the exclusion of other Campanula rotundifolia. 
plants). Alchemilla alpina. 
Anthoxanthum odoratum (dominant Aira ceespitosa, or alpina? (in clumps). 
between the patches of Silene). Festuca ovina, var. vivipara (in 
Galium saxatile. ’ clumps). 
Thymus Serpyllum. 
The typically alpine species here are Silene acaulis (not found at a 
low altitude), and Achemilla alpina. The other plants appearing 
here, and not included in the preceding lists, namely, Thymus, 
Viola, and Campanula, are common in the lower parts, but only 
become conspicuous members of the grass association at a high 
altitude. 
At low altitudes, near the base of the hills, the grass association 
is necessarily much richer in species, but its general character is 
still very similar. One species of grass, however, not found at 
high elevations, becomes conspicuous here, namely, Agrostis 
vulgaris. Holcus lanatus is also frequent at low elevations. 
From what has been said it will be apparent that there is 
considerable uniformity in the vegetation over the greater part of 
the district, and that, in considering the distribution of less 
common plants, one has to do with restricted portions of the hills 
to a large extent. What may be spoken of distinctively as the 
alpine flora of the district is most typically exhibited on the rocky 
cliffs towards the higher parts of the mountains, at elevations of 
2,000 feet and upwards, on rock-ledges, amongst boulders and 
débris resulting from the weathering of the rocks, and on the 
stony parts of the moors near the summits. 
_ Besides this more specially interesting alpine region, there are 
_ two localities included in the district to which I should like to 
_ make special reference in passing. The first is Loch Sloy, the 
_ flora of which lake, would, I believe, repay a more extensive 
| investigation than it has yet received. The loch is situated, as 
i: already remarked, at over 800 feet altitude, between the steep 
r. sides of Ben Vorlich and Ben Vane, which rise abruptly from its 
“margin on both sides; and many plants characteristic of the 
