769 



Woodsia Ilvensis still luxuriates among the cliffs of Glen Phee : a 

 specimen (out of reach) seen by one of our party, appeared to have 

 fronds five inches in length. We saw no trace of Woodsia alpina 

 throughout our whole journey, strange to say; as from the records 

 respecting the latter it would seem to be more frequent than the 

 former. 



Spergula saginoides (Eng. Bot.), Sagina saxatilis (Bab.), was very 

 abundant in some places at the foot of the cliffs in Glen Phee and 

 Canlochen Glen ; and being in full flower, was as conspicuous as its 

 minuteness would admit of. 



Mulgedium alpinum was not in flower in Glen Dole, the plants ap- 

 pearing to want another fortnight to bring them to perfection. 



The cliffs in Glen Dole and Canlochen were beautifully ornamented 

 by Veronica saxatilis and alpina and Silene acaulis, which covered 

 the rocks in many places with bright cushions and drapery of pink 

 and blue. Saxifraga oppositifolia was rather past its best. Silene 

 acaulis, var. alba, was gathered on a high rock in Glen Dole, as also 

 Vaccinium uliginosum in fine flower. 



In Glen Callater, Salix lanata was in fine order ; also Carex aqua- 

 tilis, var. pancijlora, Persoonii and rariflora. Carex vaginata was scat- 

 tered upon the serpentine rocks, and below Loch Calder C. rupestris 

 in many places seemed to form almost the entire herbage : many of 

 the specimens were very fine and well developed. It grows exclu- 

 sively on the serpentine rock, and occupies a zone about half way up 

 the crag. One specimen of C. vaginata, far more robust than com- 

 mon, exhibited the curious refracted form mentioned in some botani- 

 cal works ; the stalk of the barren spikelet bending back at an acute 

 angle from the uppermost bract. In this state the main stem is thick 

 to its union with the barren spikelet, while the stalks of the fertile 

 spikes are diminished almost to a capillary structure. Saxifraga ri- 

 vularis was in the greatest abundance on the dripping rocks under 

 the cliffs of Lochnagar, and among rocks on the west side of the 

 mountain we were fortunate in discovering the apparently undisturbed 

 habitation of Carex leporina. Its dense tufts were spread around us 

 on all sides ; in some places a dozen specimens or more might have 

 been gathered at a time. After the momentary delight at the "find" 

 had in some degree passed over, I could not help feeling regret at 

 the irresistible annihilation of the idea of extreme rarity hitherto al- 

 most mystically connected with this humble sedge ! I could not 

 retain the delusion any longer, and was obliged to give in to the con- 

 viction that the unlikely-looking places of its choice were the main 

 Vol. hi. 5 g 



