Apr. 1899.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUKGH 201 



Every one was left severely alone in anticipation of richer 

 spoil amongst the Primulas. The weary shoulder of the 

 hill was at length rounded. Here, perched on a bold 

 outjutting rock over GOOO feet high, were a church and 

 monastery, in which old folks were interned while living, 

 and round which their bodies were interred. 



At last nearing the top of the Muttenjoch, we were 

 fairly captivated by a glorious display of colouring. Here, 

 for a half-mile or more in breadth, a web of Primulas 

 wove their rosettes so densely that they took effective 

 occupation of the place, and killed out the grass. The 

 sunny air was redolent of their fragrance, and crowded 

 with swarms of fluttering butterflies, bees, and ephemeral 

 insects, hovering over the violet flowers, to the mutual 

 advantage of insect and blossom. Close search amongst 

 them was made, and we found that the vast sheet was 

 mainly composed of Primula glutinosa, L., mixed with 

 P. minima, L., with several intermediate forms between 

 the two, such as P. hifiora, P. salisburgensis, and P. Flcer- 

 keana, Schrad. A few^ plants of P. auricuki, L., and 

 P. farinoaa, L., were got a little lower down. 



Our search for plants of this special genus precluded 

 us from any systematic effort after other rarities. Still, 

 the following, amongst other flowers, were often seen : — 

 Hutcliinsia iKtvcca, Br. — rather frequent on these limestone 

 hills ; Heclysarum obscimim, L., with red instead of purple 

 petals ; Saxifraga ca:sia, L. ; S. hijlora, All. ; ^S'. aizoides 

 aurantiaca, L. ; >S'. aizoon, L. : the ciliate-leafed Ehododcmh-on 

 hirsuhom, L. — more prevalent here than the rusty-looking 

 leaf of it. ferrugineum, L. ; Bellidiastrum Michellii, Cass. ; 

 Andromeda 'polifolia, L. ; Androsace ootusifolia, in sunny 

 nooks ; Pyrola iinijiora, L., and P. rotundifolia, L., of large 

 size ; Myosotis alpcstris, Schm ; the violet Linaria alpina, 

 Eich. ; and Gymnadenia Conopsca, Br. ; with certain sedums 

 and potentillas, and Gentiana havarica, L. ; and G. verna, L. 

 In a high meadow w^ere thriving plants of Cystopteris alpina. 

 Link.; 0. montana, Bernh.; and Polypodium calcareum, Sm.; 

 tufts of crowberry, Empetrum nigrum, L. ; the glistening 

 evergreen bearberry, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi, Spreng. : and 

 the trailing dark-green Azalea, Loiselcuriajrrociunhcns, Desv., 

 clung close to the ground, as if in search of greater 



TRANS. EOT. SOC. EDIX. VOL. XXI. P 



