714 



Bwlch-y-Lacthan, to the summit, just before suuset. Here we found 

 that the guides who are stationary at the top, having erected booths, 

 where parties who wish to see the sun rise may now sleep, that is, lay 

 miserably awake, had Lonchitis for sale at sixpence a root ; a prac- 

 tice which, if encouraged, must soon annihilate this fine and sparingly 

 scattered fern from all accessible habitats. They knew nothing of 

 Woodsia. Since returning home, the guide, faithful to his promise, 

 has sent by post a small root, and some fronds of a true Woodsia, but 

 unfortunately so mutilated that we cannot satisfactorily determine the 

 species. 



We had bad weather at Beddgelert, which prevented our searching 

 that interesting neighbourhood. We again had the pleasure of seeing 

 Asplenium lanceolatum, at the station just halfway between Beddge- 

 lert and Tan-y-bwlch. The county, however, requires correction, as 

 stated in Newman's ' Ferns,' p. 249, being Merionethshire, not Car- 

 narvonshire. The rock is here a slate, and the fern grows very firmly 

 wedged in the fissures, wherever a little soil has been caught. On 

 this rock also grows a simply pinnate form of Asplenium Ruta-muraria. 



There is a pretty waterfall in the grounds of Tan-y-bwlch house, 

 which are liberally thrown open to visitors with a card from the inn. 

 The rocks and banks are covered with the most magnificent clothing 

 of Poly podium Phegopteris, rejoicing in the spray. This fern must 

 be seen in such a locality to form any just notion of its grace and 

 beauty, and the size to which it attains, as compared with its dwarfed 

 appearance occurring on walls and drier habitats. 



We again met with Polypodium Phegopteris in all its pride and 

 profusion, at the fine and romantic falls of the Cynvael, near Festiniog. 

 The river forms a series of continuous cataracts for a mile or more, 

 along which this fern carries the preponderance over all others. Op- 

 posite Huw Llwyd's Pulpit, a rock which steens one part of the cata- 

 ract, we observed a patch of Hymenophyllum on the face of a rock, 

 but out of reach, the waters being swollen, and too far off to distin- 

 guish which species, but probably Wilsoni, or perhaps both intermixed, 

 as they are recorded to grow in this celebrated vale. Also a noble 

 root of Osmunda regalis. 



Polypodium Dryopteris was noticed on the old road half way be- 

 tween Bala and Corwen, on a bank on the right ; and again sparingly 

 on the rocks a little before entering Llangollen. Equisetum sylvati- 

 cum occurs near the first named station. We left Wales by the Llan- 

 gollen-road railway station. 



It will be seen by the extent of ground covered, nearly all on foot, 



