Scottish Alpine Club to Braemar in 1889. 393 



also Veronica saxatilis, Galium horeale, Silene acaulis, Salix 

 myrsinites, Potentilla rupestris, Polystichuiii Lon^hitis, Saussurea 

 alpina, Loiscluria procumhens, Cornus suecica, Tofieldia 

 palustris, Lycopodiiim annotinum, Avena pratensis. On a 

 rocky face on Cairn-a-Drochel specimens of Asplenium 

 seiAcntrionale were obtained, the habitat being shown by Mr 

 M'Hardy. Astragalus alpinus was the plant we most 

 wished to see, and its discovery by the late Professor 

 Graham and Dr Greville, in 1831, in the Glen of the Dole, 

 was a very hicky one. Later on the late Professor John 

 Hutton Balfour discovered it on Little Craigindal in far 

 greater profusion. In company with Mr P. Xeill Eraser, Dr 

 Craig, and others, I have gathered this plant on Ben 

 y Vrackie, near Pitlochry, in abundance. Mr Eraser, who dis- 

 covered it there in 1884, certainly deserves great credit, for the 

 hill must have been examined previously on many occasions by 

 competent botanists without the Astragalus being observed. 

 Craigindal is the sanctuary of the deer, and Mr M'Hardy 

 kept sharp watch on our movements, in case we should 

 frighten the herds over the march into the Duke of Eich- 

 mond's forest. Xoble herds were seen crossing the valley, 

 while we were reposing near the ridge, on their way to 

 Ben Avon. Mr Paul left the party on the hill, having to 

 return to Eoxburgh in the afternoon ; the rest of us reached 

 Braemar in time for dinner, after a very pleasant excursion. 

 On Saturday, the 20th July, Dr Macfarlane and Mr 

 TurnbuU left by morning coach for Edinburgh. Some of 

 us visited the Linn of Corrymulzie and Morrone Woods, 

 getting nothing in the way of rare plants, but admiring the 

 fine panorama of lofty mountains near the source of the Dee, 

 which were clear to their summits. The weather being fine, 

 we extended our walk till it was time to return to Braemar, 

 where we found everything en fete, as the Shah of Persia 

 had arrived in our absence at Invercauld. Our President 

 and Mr King represented the Scottish Alpine Club at the 

 ball given in the evening, and we all separated to our 

 several homes on the 22nd, greatly the better of our 

 excursion to Braemar. 



