Dr. Arnott's Botanical Excursion to the Rhinns of Galloruay. 51 



dependance on this character for distinguishing alliances and even natural 

 orders. It is, however, one that can only be successfully followed out by 

 those who reside in tropical countries. 



21th February, 1849. — Mr. Gourlie read an account of a Botanical 

 excursion to the Breadalbane mountains, in July, 1841, and exhibited speci- 

 mens of the plants of that district, amongst which were the following : — 



Salix reticulata. 

 Aspidium Lonchitis. 

 Woodsia hyperborea, 

 Myosotis alpestris. 

 Hypnum Halleri. 

 Saussurea alpina. 

 Arbutus uva-ursi. 

 Sibbaldia procumbens. 



18^ April, 1849. — Dr. Walker Arnott read the following paper and 

 exHbited specimens of the plants collected. 



Vn. — Account of a Botanical Excursion to the Rhinns of Gallov;ay. 

 By G-. A. Walker Arnott, LL.D., Reg. Prof, of Botany. 



On Monday the Itli August last, as previously arranged at a meeting of 

 the Botanical section of the Society, Dr. R. D. Thomson, Mr. George R. 

 Alexander, Mr. William Kidston, and I, started by the railway for Ayr, 

 and from thence took the steamer to Stranraer, where we arrived between 

 eight and nine in the evening, too late to proceed further that night. By 

 means of a car next morning, we got to Drumore to breakfast, a long ride of 

 three hours. In this ride we passed Stoney Kirk, where we observed 

 Lythrum Salicaria, and Equisetum limosum, now known by the name of E. 

 Tdmatda — Chapel Rosen Bay where we saw Sparganium simplex, and 

 between which and Grenan Craigs, Lepidium Smilhii first made its appear- 

 ance. By many Sparganium simplex is confounded with S. ramosiim, but 

 its simple infloresencc affords a ready mark of distinction. The history of 

 L. Smilhii may not be uninteresting. It was first described by Sir J. E. 

 Smith under the name of L. hirtum, on the supposition that it was the 

 Tlilasjn hirtum of Montpellier, a South of France plant, which agrees with 

 it in the length of the style, and in the nearly total absence of scales on the 

 pod, but differs widely in the form of the pod and its hairiness, besides 

 other characters. Hooker, in the Flora Scotica, expressly says that the 

 pod is not only free from scales, but also from hairiness, and although the 

 hairiness is characteristic of the true L. hirtum, ho retains that name : it is 

 probable that at the time (1821) he was unacquainted with the true 

 species. In 1823 I first obtained the Linnajan plant, and then noted in 

 my copy of the Flora Scotica, the differences between it and the English 

 one ; when Sir W. Hooker prepared the British Flora in 1830, lie changed 

 the name to L. Smithii, having ere then received from myself and others. 



