14 BOTANICAL RAMBLES. [January, 



to the long continued drought, was almost dried up. I entered 

 a plantation on the north bank and found two vigorous plants of 

 Valeriana pyrenaica, but greatly mortified at finding the blossoms 

 plucked ofi";, most probably by children who herd cattle on the 

 opposite bank. I ascended the river still further, expecting to 

 find, above the Bridge, Vicia sylvatica and 'Eriyeron alpinum, but 

 found neither. I discovered plants of Astragalus glycyphyllus 

 in abundance and luxuriance, and collected a case full. 



On high earthy banks, about a mile above the junction of the 

 Almond and Tay, I gathered one or two specimens of Verbascum 

 Tkapsus, by no means a common plant ; it was large and vigo- 

 rous, six feet high. I observed plants of Chenopodium Bonus- 

 Henricus, Anthyllis Vulneraria, Agrinionia Eupatoria, and Tra- 

 gopogon pratensis ; the latter is also plentiful about a mile and 

 a half above Perth, along the banks of the Tay. The former is 

 mostly confined to the banks of the Almond. Of other plants 

 I saw none rare or uncommon that day. 



Ramble V. — Bog of Methveti. 



This Bog is the only known station in Scotland for the singu- 

 lar rush-like plant Scheuchzeria palustris. It is also interesting 

 to the Botanist otherwise, as containing a few other rarities, 

 such as Carex limosa and Cicuta virosa. I visited this Bog last 

 summer (1858), and procured a good supply of the Scheuchzeria. 



In June, this summer (1859), I went to it in order to get spe- 

 cimens of Carex limosa, of which I obtained a great number. 

 Cicuta virosa appeared more plentiful this year than the last, but 

 only just coming into flower, consequently unfit for the Herba- 

 rium of the practical Botanist. Carex vesicaria or C. ampullacea 

 (I am not very well acquainted with the Carices, and these two 

 species being closely allied, I cannot decide with certainty which 

 of the two) covers nearly the half of the Bog, to the entire exclu- 

 sion of almost every other plant ; the other half is mostly overrun 

 with the delicate trailing stems of Vaccinium Oxycoccus. I visited 

 the Bog, July, 1859, and the berries of this humble plant were in 

 hundreds of thousands, but not quite ready. I have a specimen 

 of Stratiotes abides from another bog about a quarter of a mile 

 distant from the one in question, but as I have not seen it I can 

 only believe in its existence, but hope to see it soon and to gather 

 a supply of the Stratiotes for myself. The Scheuchzeria is plen- 

 tiful, and is in no danger of eradication. 



