STIRLING AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 69 



maj'us (snapdragon) grow in the crevices of the castle rock, but 

 generally out of reach, as any plant that may find a lodgment 

 within climbing distance is speedily captured. Amongst the 

 boulders at the foot of the hill Myosotis collina (early field- 

 scorpion-grass) is plentiful. There is no record of its having been 

 found in the Clydesdale district. Trifolium strictum (soft-knotted 

 trefoil), T. medium (zig-zag trefoil), and T. arvense (hare's-foot 

 trefoil), may also be found, but they are rather scarce. Ranun- 

 culus bulbosus (bulbous crowfoot) is abundant. In the wooded 

 bank of the King's Park, at some distance to the west, two very 

 rare plants grow, viz., Gagea lutea (yellow star of Bethlehem) 

 and Astragalus glycyphyllos (sweet milk-vetch) — the former in the 

 damp ground at the back of the rifle butts, and the latter nearer 

 the town. In the park above, up towards the flagstaff, Viola 

 lutea (mountain pansy) is very abundant in all variety of colours, 

 from brightest yellow to deepest violet. 



Advancing along the Back Walk by -the north side of the castle 

 the Pass of Ballangeich is reached. By it James V. — the " Guid- 

 man o' Ballangeich" — went out and in to the castle on his 

 nocturnal exploits. The outline of the door, long since built up, 

 which he made use of on these occasions, is still to be seen in the 

 east wall. The pass was then a footpath, but is now a good 

 broad road. We now come to the Gowlin hills (so called from 

 the wailing of criminals who were executed there), where Aquilegia 

 vulgaris (columbine) is said to grow. Brassica oleracea is pretty 

 plentiful on this side of the castle walls. On these hills Rosa 

 rubiginosa (sweetbriar) and other members of the rose tribe are 

 rather plentiful. 



We must now find our way to the Abbey Craig, and crossing 

 the Forth by the old bridge, may gather Geranium pratetise 

 (meadow crane's-bill) — the queen of the crane's-bills — in plenty 

 on the Forth banks. Having arrived at Causeyhead, the best 

 way to botanise the Craig is to ascend from the Alloa road a 

 short distance before coming to the school. On the hill many of 

 the plants already enumerated will be found, which I need 

 not recapitulate. Some others may be mentioned : Echium 

 vulgare (viper's-bugloss), plentiful; Anthyllis Vulneraria (lady's- 

 fingers), Filago germanica (the impious weed), F. minima (least 

 filago), Silene inflata (bladder-campion), Lychnis vesperti?ia (white 



