{October, 1862.] 289 



HIGHLAND BOTANY. 



Two Days' Botanizing in the Highlands. 



By Alexander Macalister, M.D, 



About the middle of last July, with some botanical friends, I 

 started for a couple of days' botanizing on the southern and most 

 accessible part of the Highlands. Leaving Glasgow early in the 

 morning, we were deposited by rail at the Bucklyvie station, in 

 Stirlingshire, from whence we intended to walk to Loch Ard, a 

 distance of eight or nine miles. The road from the station passes 

 through a very pleasingly diversified country, at one time bor- 

 dered by cultivated land and pastures, at another by extended 

 districts of bog, and growing more picturesque as we skirted 

 along the side of the Forth and entered the wilder and more rough 

 part of our route. Few rarities came in our way, the only speci- 

 mens we transferred to our vasculums being Polypodium Dryo- 

 ptei'is, which we foimdin abundance, its delicate triangular fronds 

 rising from the interstices of the stone dykes along with Asjjle- 

 niwn Adiantum-nigrum, some fine specimens of which we ga- 

 thered. Further on we found one plant of Cystopteris fragilis, 

 and one very well marked, though small, plant of Lastrea TJiely- 

 pteris, of which I took possession. Along with these, but in 

 greater abundance, we found Lastrea Oreopteris and Filix-mas, a 

 few plants of Aspidium aculeatuni, Polypodium vulgare, and 

 Athyt'ium Filix-foernina. Along the hedgebanks abundance of 

 Campanula rotundifolia grows, accompanied by the commoner 

 species of Hieracium, Lathyrus, etc.; in one of the bogs near Gart- 

 more I found Salix cinerea and abundance of Narthecium ossi- 

 fragum, Eriophorum vaginatum and polystuchyum, and Carex pilu- 

 lifera. Having arrived at Aberfoyle, the romantic spot Avhere 

 the Avon Dhu and Duchray unite to form the Forth, we entered 

 the inn, so well known from its connection with Sir Walter 

 Scott's inimitable romance ' Rob Roy;' here we satisfied the crav- 

 ings of our appetite with a substantial lunch and shelter from a 

 very heavy shower, which however was soon over, and we proceeded 

 on to Loch Ard, one of the most beautiful spots of Highland sce- 

 nery. By the Avon Dhu which arises from the lake, we found Ba- 

 nunculus Lingua, Flammula, hederacea, and aquatilis, Galium sa.va- 

 tile, verum, and jjahistre ; in the loch wc found, at its lower end, 



N.S. VOL. VI. 2 p 



