1862.] BOTANY OP THE KINGDOM OF FIFE. 325 



scope, where the mercury was still retaining its lofty position, and 

 the horoscope we found at 5,30 a.m. ; we loaded the corners of 

 our vasculums with our viaticum, or the necessaries for the day, 

 and hetook ourselves through the still quiet, slumbering loneliness 

 of the streets of the ancient city. Passing along by the ruined 

 walls which enclose the lands once the site of the monastery of 

 the Augustinian order of friars, we found the usual associate of 

 old walls, viz. Parietai'ia officinalis. On this wall, which is in 

 good preservation, twenty feet in height and four in breadth, 

 among the green foliage of common plants, were readily observed 

 the tall stems and globular umbels of Allium vineale, playing 

 wanton gambols with the sea-breeze. 



Among more common plants, were abundance of Malva rotun- 

 difolia, Hordeum murinum, and a few patches of Poa rigida. 



Passing over the bridge that spans the Kimp Burn, and search- 

 ing the sandy grounds south of the harbour, locally known as 

 the " East Bents,^^ we found among plants of more general dis- 

 tribution, Poa loliacea [Festuca loliacea?), Elymus arenarms, 

 and Triticum junceum, in abundance. 



Ononis arvensis was in profusion, with lighter and darker shades 

 of colour. Centam'ea scabiosa, blue, pink, and pure white, over- 

 topping the short, growing corn, presented a very striking appear- 

 ance along the margin of the field. (We never saw C. scabiosa 

 with blue flowers, but have seen Scabiosa arvensis, or Knautia 

 arvensis, with many-coloured flowers.) 



Silene noctiflora was also in abundance. We visited again the 

 station of Cnicus arvensis, var. setosus, where we found it at a 

 sej^arate place, sixty yards distant; this variety still retains its 

 distinctive appearance in the two stations, among the East 

 Bents. We have also found this variety on the Tent Muirs seve- 

 ral years ago. Thalictrum flavuin was also abundant, associated 

 with Trugopogon pratensis. 



Passing along the rugged cliffs of Kingkell, where, from the 

 grassy banks above the Maiden Rock (a naked rock, covered with 

 the grey Lichen Ramalina, and enlivened with the twining stems of 

 the Honeysuckle, Lonicera Periclymenum) , we arranged our plants 

 collected from the clifl's, noticing Solidago Virga-aurea, Gynina- 

 denia conopsea, Habenaria viridis, and Hdianthemum vulgare, with 

 plants of more general distribution. Tlie view of St. Andrew's 

 from this point, embracing the ruins of its castle and cathedral. 



