216 



also abundant on the hill above the hamlet of Clova, as well as several 

 others, particularly Lecanora tartarea and Parmelia omphalodes. On 

 the " Greenhill," south of Loch Brandy, we found Spergula subulata 

 and Azalea procumbens. 



To the Bassies mountain we made two visits, and found several 

 good things. Azalea procumbens was plentiful on its summit, asso- 

 ciated with Salix herbacea and Juncus trifidus : the specimens of the 

 latter plant gathered here, however, were stunted and insignificant in 

 their appearance compared with the fine tufts which we culled from 

 the fissures of the roots about half way down. Carex rigida was 

 fi-equent ; Alchemilla alpina literally mantled the mountain with its 

 silvery foliage ; and we noticed Sibbaldia procumbens and Tofieldia 

 palustris, but without flowers. On the summit there was a profusion 

 of Cetraria nivalis, and we also gathered Solorina crocea, Cornicula- 

 ria aculeata in fruit, Lecidea fusco-lutea and Splachnum sphsericura ; 

 and in a bog was Polytrichum juniperinum, var. |3. gracilius (the P. 

 strictum of Menzies). Between Bassies and Scorie there was plenty of 

 Conostomum boreale and Polytrichum hercjTiicum, together with Di- 

 cranum StarMi, subulata and virens. Polytrichum alpinum was in 

 abundance everywhere on the mountains at a good elevation. By the 

 side of a watercouse in descending from the Bassies we met with a 

 specimen or two of Alopecuius alpinus, Hieracium alpinum and Hal- 

 leri ; but the most interesting of our acquisitions on the Bassies was 

 Jungermannia ciliaris with calyces, which are of exceedingly rare oc- 

 currence. The calyx-bearing plants were very small and perfectly 

 procumbent, growing among tufts of Dicranum scoparium. We also 

 found on this mountain beautiful specimens of Tetraphis pellucida in 



fruit. 



On the banks of the Esk about Clova there was plenty of Carex 

 ampullacea and Geranium sylvaticum, with Galium palustre var. /3. 

 Witheringii and Cnicus heterophyllus ; and we also found Rumex 

 aquaticus and Rubus suberectus. The latter plant occurred in many 

 places in the valleys as well as on the mountains. 



On our return down the glen we met with nothing that we had not 

 previously seen in the district, except Triodia decumbens, which grew 

 on small hillocks by the waysides. 



This being our first visit to these mountains the ground was entirely 

 new to us, and particular localities quite unknown, so that M^e were 

 unsuccessful in obtaining many of the rarities which are there to be 

 found. Professor Balfour, who is intimately acquainted with the dis- 

 trict, procured, just before we left, Dryas octopetala, Veronica saxati- 



