227 



further beauty from tbe thick foliage that in many places adorns its banks. 

 Beyond the confines of the valley, huge mountains on either side give majesty 

 to the scenery. 



Proceeding from the old bridge of Builth, with its six stone arches, to 

 which time has given rather a solemn character, and passing the railway 

 station, the mossy turf of the Carneddau range is soon reached. A very steep 

 path winds upwards among rocks that are unmistakeably of igneous origin. 

 It is well to turn from it to some projecting rocks on the shoulder of the 

 mountain. Here, spread out before you, are the windings of the Wye 

 through the valley, the pretty town of BuUth itself with its meadows and 

 pleasantly wooded hills, — opposite to you is the Garth — from this point an 

 isolated cone, — whilst stretching out beyond it is the range of the Epynt, and 

 mountains upon mountains that appear in every variety of light and shade. 

 All this is seen in varied form as the winding path is followed to the summit 

 of therange. From the western side beyond Blaengowen the hill projects 

 boldly forwards into the valley by the point called the Craigddu, from which 

 also an excellent view of the adjacent valleys and hills is obtained. 



There might have been considerable doubt as to the weather, but the 

 dwarf thistle (Carduus acaulis) spread wide its calyx, and the botanists went 

 cheerfidly forward. The thistle and science were right too, albeit in direct 

 opposition to local authority, for the weather turned out to be everything that 

 could be wished. 



In the walk over the Carneddau some noteworthy plants were observed. 

 The pretty English stonecrop (Sedum AnglicumJ was particularly abundant 

 on all the projecting rocks, though this plant generally prefers such as are 

 within reach of the seaside. The purple flowered orpine (Sedum telephiumj 

 was also found— and in several places a small forest of fine grown seed stems 

 of the foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) was observed. 



The bleak summit of the mountain is covered with the gray reindeer 



lichen, 



" The wiry moss that whitens all the hiU," 



as Crabbe designates it, and which must give the spot rather a dreary aspect 

 ■when the fogs of November emcompass it. Now it was all tempting to a 

 wanderer, and the sun, though among clouds, shot out between them here 

 and there, maiking out with artistic effect the distant mountain ranges. 



To botanists, however, the chief attraction was the bog, situated in a 

 boUow space at the top of the hill. This seems formerly to have been a lake 

 or large pool, but is now nearly choaked up with plants ; rushes in plenty, 

 surrounded with tufts of the Sphagnum or bog moss ; an abundance of the 

 rare and elegant marsh St. John's wort (Hypericum elodes); the marsh Cinque- 

 foil (Comarum palustre), with its beautiful leaves and maroon coloured 

 flowers ; the bog bean ( Menyanthes trifoliataj ; the not very common pedicu- 

 laris palustris ; the penny-wort (Htjdrocotyle vulgaris) hid itself as usuaj 

 beneath everything else; and the pretty cotton grass (Eriophorum anguati- 



