240 Mr William Coats' Report on [sess. lii. 



pounced on it as we were examining a boggy piece of ground 

 at one end of the loch, and within a yard Mr Allan got 

 other two specimens. 



This plant was noted as having been found on these 

 mountains more than a century ago, by the then minister of 

 Killin. He has left a record of the rarer plants only, found 

 by him, and since then, I understand, the plant has not been 

 again observed in this district. 



Ferns are not plentiful in the district. We noted 22 

 species, but of these there is only one fact worth mentioning, 

 viz., that wherever we came across slaty limestone strata 

 cropping out, there we were sure to find Asphnium viride 

 growing luxuriantly. On Ben Fhionnlaidh we came across 

 a beautiful patch of parsley fern growing in a sheltered gully, 

 almost the only fern. I think we found on that mountain. 

 This fern was likewise got by the first party, but on Ben 

 So'uliaird. 



On the morning of AVednesday, the 3rd August, Messrs 

 Grieve, Webb,. and Coats set out before 9 a.m. to botanise that 

 day over Ben Fhionnlaidh — Dr Macfarlane and Mr Allan 

 going in an opposite direction. There had been rain during 

 night ; the morning did not look very promising, and mist 

 covered the tops of the surrounding mountains, but by eleven 

 in the forenoon the day had improved considerably. 



At the base of the mountain we separated, and soon lost 

 sight of each other, each taking a different course, to cover 

 as much ground as possible, with the intention of meeting 

 on the jjlateau sliown on the Ordnance Survey map at the 

 2000 feet level. This we ultimately did. At this time, 

 about 2 P.M., thin mist was covering the whole top of the 

 mountain. We soon got into it without our progress being 

 impeded. Above 2250 feet the ground was very rough, 

 with large detached granite boulders, but very little vegeta- 

 tion of any kind. 



At 3.15 P.M. we gained the summit, and sat down to rest 

 ourselves by the edge of a precipice overlooking a corrie of 

 great depth. 



The mist had now nearly cleared away from the summit, 

 but was being driven in large masses into the corrie far 

 below. All at once we saw our shadows distinctly thrown 

 by the sun on the mist away down in the abyss in the centre 



