70 Dr Craig on the Excursion of [sess. li. 



inches high, generally covered with a short grandular down, 

 and bearing one or two white flowers." This is an excellent 

 description of the true cccspitosa. The petals never spread 

 so much as in hypnoidcs, and any one who is acquainted with 

 the true plant can scarcely mistake it for hypnoides. Ben 

 Avers is evidently a misprint for Ben Avon. With the 

 exception of the single specimen in the Bower Herbarium at 

 Kew, said to have been found on Ben Nevis, all the other 

 specimens at Kew are from Ben Avon. In the University 

 Herbarium here the only wild specimens are from Ben Avon 

 and Beinn A'Bhiiird. 



The plant was collected on Beinn A'Bhuird by the late 

 Mr William M'Nab in August 1830. I believe only a 

 single tuft was collected on Beinn A'Bhuird, and it has never 

 been found on that mountain since. The following year 

 (1831) Professor Graham, Mr William JM'Nab, Dr IMartin 

 Barry, and others made a special search on Beinn A'Bhuird, 

 but failed to find it. After the return of the party to 

 Ediuburgh, Mr William M'Nab and Dr Martin Barry 

 returned to Braemar, and again searched the mountain, but 

 without success. Mr M'Nab having to return to Edinburgh, 

 Dr Martin Barry remained behind at Braemar with the view 

 of making a further search for this rare Saxifrage. Dr Barry, 

 accompanied by Mr John Mackenzie, gardener, Invercauld, 

 as liis guide, examined the rocks on Ben Avon facing Beinn 

 A'Bhuird, and tliey were successful in finding a new station 

 for tliis, undoubtedly one of the rarest of British alpines. 

 The first specimen was picked by John Mackenzie, so that 

 he, and not Dr Barry, was tlic real discoverer of the Ben 

 Avon station. In the following year this station was again 

 visited by Dr Barry, ])ut the ])lant was picked l)y him only 

 sparinfjly. There is a specimen in the lirand collection of 

 the University Herbarium, dated 1832, collected on P>en 

 Avon. In the Watson Herbarium at Kew a s])ccimen is 

 marked "lien Avon, 1831 — W. Stables." There is no 

 record of tliis plant being gathered on Ben Avon since 1832, 

 and I am not aware of any person who knows the station on 

 Ben Avon in tlie present day. 



In the (!i'_;hth volnine of tlu; Jovrwd of Botany foi' 1870, 

 at page 281, Mr J. (1. Baker of Kew, in his remarks on 

 Saxifraya ccespitosa, regards the plant as occurring in Ireland ; 



