Excursion of the Scottish Alpine Botanical Cluh. 207 



peculiar formation known as "sugar-loaf" limestone, 

 which seems to be favourable for some rare plants. The 

 day was fine, and we had a most enjoyable excursion. We 

 drove up the same way as to Widdybank, and crossed the 

 Tees by a bridge, and so got easily on the hill. Before 

 crossing the Tees we gathered fine plants of Gcntiana 

 vcrna * and Primula farinosa, both of which grew in con- 

 siderable abundance, on a bank on the Durham side of Tees. 

 On the Yorkshire side of the river we saw immense 

 tracts of Potentilla fniticosa. It covered several acres. 



On the summit of the mountain on the ("sugar-loaf") 

 limestone, were collected the following plants, which appear 

 to be only found on this formation : — Helianthemv.m camim, 

 Viola canina var. arenaria, Hippocrepis cornosa, tnid Dryas 

 octopetala. 



In addition were gathered in this excursion : — Draha 

 incana, Arenaria verna, Buhus Chamcemorus, Saxifraga 

 aizoides and hypnoides^ Peplis Portula, Vaccinium Vitis 

 Idcca, Oxy coccus palustris, Gcntiana Amarella, Littorella 

 lacustris, Lister a ovata, Juncus triglumis, Kohresia caricina, 

 Carex capillaris, Crypttogramme crispa, Asplenium Tricho- 

 raanes, viride and Ruta-muraria, Gystop)teris fragilis, Aspi- 

 dium acideatum var. lobatum, Polypodium Dryopteris^ Neph- 

 r odium Fill x-mas var. abhreviatum ov pumilum,Lycopocliiim 

 clavatum, alpinum, and Selago, and Selaginella selaginoides. 



On Thursday, 31st July, our excursion was to Mickle 

 Fell, one of the highest mountains in Yorkshire. It lies 

 to the south-west of Cronkley Fell, and is 2591 feet in 

 height. It is composed chiefly of limestone, but near the 

 top there are numerous deep round holes very much like 

 the mouths of old coal pits. To get to this mountain, we 

 crossed the Tees at Middleton, and entered the valley of 

 the Luiie, and drove as far as Lune Head Lead Mines. 

 These mines are not being worked at present. 



On our way up the Lune valley, we passed on our 

 right hand a hill with a very fine Druidic^al circ^le of stones 

 on its top, but, strange to say, not marked on the Ordnance 

 Survey map. 



After leaving our carriage we had a long dreary walk 



* One of the plants of Gentiaiia verna, gathered by Professor Dickson, 

 proved to be a pure white variety. 



