52 BOTANICAL SKETCHES FROM NORTH WALES. {February, 



Arrenigs^ towards the west. Llanwchlyn is beautifully situated at 

 the foot of these lofty mountains, on the upper end of the lake, 

 and is watered by the three above-mentioned rivers; the road 

 from the village joins the Bala and Dolgelly road about half a 

 mile from the church. 



By this we travelled along the Llanycil side of the lake, through 

 Bala, where the Merionethshire Militia were assembling, past Bod- 

 weyne, and so home to Llandderfel. 



To Llangynog was our next journey, along the Bala road, over 

 the Berwyns, a road now about as familiar to us as Piccadilly. 

 After ascending the steep hill opposite Llandderfel, whence there 

 is a fine view of the church, the village, and the white monument, 

 there is nothing interesting on the road till Pont-y-Beddws is 

 reached, a place previously noticed or described. On either side a 

 bleak desolate moor extends, grazed by a few mountain sheep, with 

 here and there a stack of peats (winter fuel) . This continues for 

 five or six miles, at which distance from Llandderfel the traveller 

 reaches the celebrated pass of Llangynog. Here the road, by an 

 easy declivity, is carried along the southern slope of the Berwyns ; 

 the mountains, which are here very steep and lofty, are on the 

 traveller's left, and a deep glen, which opens out into a vale, is 

 on the right. In the bottom of this dell or vale runs the infant 

 river Tanat. All the waters from this side flow into the Severn, 

 while all on the other side increase the waters of the Dee. 



The only remarkable plant observed while descending this pass 

 was what is often called Spergularia rubra, but it is well known 

 by its English name. Sandwort. The altitude of Lepigonum ru- 

 brum is estimated at 200 yards. In the pass of Llangynog it was 

 noticed at an elevation probably of 300 yards, certainly far above 

 200 yards. This plant was noticeable on another account : it 

 rarely appears in Merionethshire at any altitude. 



This pass is celebrated for its Ferns, especially Polypodium 

 Dryopteris and P. Phegopteris, which may be said to abound 

 everywhere in this county ; but above all the beautiful Parsley 

 Fern seems to have selected the pass of Llangynog as its head- 

 quarters. About a mile or so from the upper end of the pass, 

 this lovely Fern occurs sparingly with Polypodium Dryopteris, 

 Asplenium T7^ichoinanes, the mountain form of Lastrea Filix-7nas, 

 etc., but about a mile from the village, in that part of the pass 

 beyond the turnpike, named Miltir Gerrig (the Stony Mile), the 



