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which we have reason to believe is tolerably plentiful in these parts, 

 and, fortunately for its preservation, in some places quite inaccessible. 

 For these localities we are indebted to Professor Ramsay. 



The beaten ascent of Snowdoii will not do for the botanist. We 

 succeeded in obtaining a guide, who was willing to conduct us 

 wherever we wished. We first proceeded to a lofty precipice, form- 

 ing one of the western buttresses of Snowdon, called Clowgwyn Du 

 Yrarddu (Clogwyn dur Arddu of the Ordnance Survey). Here, among 

 the rocks and wild debris, between the base of the precipice and Llyn 

 Arddu, were all the ferns we had seen in Cwm Idwell, some of them 

 growing, if possible, still more luxuriantly, as Asplenium viride, and 

 Hymenophyllum Wilsoni of a very large size, and tufts of Allosorus 

 crispus almost a yard in diameter. From the constancy of the moun- 

 tain form of Cystopteris met with throughout these regions, perfectly 

 distinct in the form and cutting of the pinnules from the more south- 

 ern plant we had previously known as fragilis, we are inclined to 

 believe in the specific distinctness of dentata, which we had before 

 doubted ; but have brought home a supply of seedlings to cultivate, 

 the result of which shall be communicated, if successful. 



When on the last shoulder, in full sight of the summit, we met one 

 of the older guides coming down, well known for his botanical lore, 

 and especially for his knowledge, said to be exclusive, of the habitat 

 of Woodsia in Clogwyn-y-Garnedd. After some chaffering to obtain 

 information, and not without the aid of a little bribery, — for which, 

 however, he promised to transmit us a plant if we did not succeed in 

 finding it, — he brought us back a little to the edge of the ridge, and 

 professed to point out the exact spot where the Woodsia grew, far 

 down amid a world of rocks and precipices. All the time we did not 

 think he meant us to find it. The absurdity of identifying by descrip- 

 tion from above one particular wet rock, when down amongst such a 

 chaos of rocks and precipices, was apparent enough. We were de- 

 termined, however, not to fail for want of trying; and luck might 

 come in to aid. So down the Capel Curig track we went, and then 

 deviated to the right, to get under the precipice constituting Clogwyn-y- 

 Garnedd. It is almost needless to say, that after a tremendous scramble 

 we had to give up the Woodsia ; but were sufficiently rewarded by 

 capturing several plants of Polystichum Lonchitis, and saw some still 

 finer ones in places inaccessible. It is a great treat to see this truly 

 splendid and weird-looking fern, evidently framed to brave, under its 

 weather-beaten form, the storms of its native mountains. After round- 

 ing the little Llyn Glas below, we had to ascend the tremendous 

 Vol. hi. 4 z 



