443 



dwelling-place in 1848. Veronica alpina and a variety of V. offici- 

 nalis margined some of the rills, and enormous tufts of Polystichum 

 Lonchitis with fronds 18 inches long added to the interesting assem- 

 blage. In climbing from ledge to ledge on the face of the crag, near 

 a basaltic gorge we found a Gnaphalium of very unusual appearance, 

 differing from G. sylvaticum (to the mountain form of which it ap- 

 proaches nearest) in having few long-stalked obovate-\a.nceo\dLte leaves 

 scattered on the stem, and spreading off at right angles, and a short, 

 closely aggregated, abrupt spike, with linear spreading bracteas. The 

 plants were from 6 to 8 inches high, and seemed luxuriant and un- 

 like the starved form of G. sylvaticum which is not uncommon at a 

 lower elevation, and has ascending linear or linear-lanceolate leaves 

 clothing the stem from the base. The heads of sylvaticum moreover 

 are more elongated and spiked, and the florets are rather shorter in 

 proportion to the involucral scales. Our plant is probably G. nor- 

 vegicnm, which is considered specifically distinct from G. sylvaticum. 



Juncus castaneus was abundant in the streamlet that falls into this 

 gorge close to the edge of the precipice, and a few scattered plants 

 grew in a bog many hundred feet below. 



In returning we re-ascended the shoulder of the Glass Mhiel, and 

 had again to steer our way amid the cloud, safely reaching the head 

 of the pass just as the shades of evening closed around us. 



Refreshed by a night's rest we crossed the moors to the head of 

 Glen Callater, finding Salix lanata, Cornus suecica, and Trientalis 

 europaea. 



The comfortable inn at Braemar was our lodging-place that night, 

 and on the following morning we started at an early hour for Loch- 

 nagar, passing through the forests on the south side of the Dee. It 

 was a lovely day, and the three tranquil tarns under the west cliffs of 

 the mountain brilliantly reflected the blue sky above them, while the 

 clearness of the distant landscape and general serenity foretold no- 

 thing of coming storms. On the ascent we gathered Lycopodium 

 annotinum, Pinus sylvestris from its native woods, Betula nana, and 

 Azalea procumbens. Our tract was up a steep, narrow ravine partially 

 filled with snow, which (though condensed so as to resemble ice) still 

 measured 4 feet in thickness. We cut niches for our feet, and so 

 scrambled up its steep edge, careful to avoid a slip into the cavernous 

 recesses underneath, which were quite large enough to hold us ! On 

 the top of the mountain we saw many of the plants noticed in the 

 preceding excursions, and after surveying the 1200-feet precipice on 

 the north-eastern side, followed a stream which (in four miles) led us 



