Dr. Arnott's JBotanical Excursion to the Rhinns of Galloway. 59 



was most unprofitable : indeed, throughout the whole peninsula called the 

 Rhynns of Galloway, nothing of any consequence is found away from the 

 shore ; and the shore, particularly on the west side, is so bold and rocky, 

 that it would consume as many days, as hours we devoted to it, to examine 

 it properly ; and were any one to attempt this, he ought to spend his 

 chief time between the lighthouse and Clanyard Bay, and probably accom- 

 modation at night might be had at the lighthouse itself. 



When we came in sight of Dunskey Castle, we left the road and passed 

 through a moor. Here, about a quarter of a mile from the castle itself, 

 we found Hypericum Modes {Elodes palustris of Spach,) and Potamogeton 

 ohlongus. The Hyjjericum was in considerable abundance : the only spot 

 along the Firth of Clyde where it has been found, is on the north side, 

 opposite to Gourock, about two hundred yards to the west of PortkUl in 

 Dumbartonshire. As we were separated by a chasm from the castle, the 

 party divided, two descending to the shore, the others keeping the high 

 ground. The former found among the cliffs, Rhodiola rosea and Helian- 

 tliemum vvlgare. In the moat behind the castle were Anagallis tenella, 

 (which, however, we had observed in several other places along the coast,) 

 Helosciadium inundcttuni in a very fine state of fructification, and 

 Callitriclie jjilalycarpa; with regard to the position of this last genus in 

 a natural arrangement, there can, I think, now be no doubt, that in the 

 youngest germen there is not the least trace of a margin or rim to denote 

 an adherent perianth : the fruit is thus superior, and the affinity with 

 Halorageae no longer tenable, It is difficult to compare it with any other 

 known natural order ; for it bears no close resemblance to any of the 

 Euphorbiacese, proteus-like as that order is ; and yet that is the group 

 with which Lindley feels constrained to ally it. 



Dunskey Castle is on the summit of the cliff, and close to its walls in 

 front were magnificent specimens of Arenaria rubra, that form of it called 

 by Linnteus /3. marina, but not the A. marina of most English botanists, 

 which is the A media of Linnaeus and De CandoUe. I am not quite sui-e if I 

 understand what Babington means by these species, as he dismisses the char- 

 acters obtained from the ring of the seed, and relies on the round stems and 

 angular rough seeds for A, rubra; and compressed stem and compressed 

 nearly smooth seeds for A. marina. Now, in the Dunskey Castle plant, the 

 root appeared perennial, as in the usual maritime forms of these species, 

 the stem and seeds compressed, as in his A. marina, but the latter rough, as 

 in his A. rubra. Then, if this be his A, marina, we have no character 

 left but the compressed stem and compressed seeds, and these latter were 

 by no means lenticular — a transverse section exhibits a triangle. 

 Babington further assigns to his A. rubra, pointed leaves, while he says 

 that in A. marina they are blunt : in the Dunskey plant they are decidedly 

 mucronate. It is thus extremely difficult to pronounce what 

 are species, and what varieties; nor can a mere European observer 

 decide the question, as similar forms to our own occur in North America, 

 Bucaos Ayres, Chili, and the Cape of Good Hope ; and it is useless 



