474 NOTES OF A BOTANICAL TOUR IN BANFFSHIllE. yMaVCk, 



passed, we found Saxifraga stellaris — a plant that grows in 

 abundance on most of the hills. It belongs to the Natural Order 

 Saxifragaceoe. The genus is so named from its supposed power 

 in curing the disease of the stone, and the name means "the 

 stone-breaker." One, a native of England and Ireland, is grown 

 in this country in gardens, S. umhrosa (London Pride, None- 

 so-pretty). (,S, granulata), S. hypnoides (Lady's Cushion), S. 

 azioides, and S. oppositifolia grow in the county — the last 

 growing only on the highest hills, and on rocks by the sea. Ano- 

 ther genus of the same family, containing two species, — one rare, 

 and the other plentiful, — grows in the county. The species are 

 Chrysosplenium allernifolium (rare) and C. oppositifolium (Golden 

 Saxifrage) . The latter is used in the Vosges as a salad, under the 

 name of Cresson de Roche. 



In several boggy places we lighted upon Epiloblum alpinum. 

 We have gathered the same plant on Belrinnes. A somewhat 

 rare plant is found, Melampyrum pratense, with the variety mon- 

 tanum (Cow Wheat). All along were growing Juniperus communis 

 (Juniper), " Aiinach ;" Empetrmn nigrum (Crowberry), " Kuow- 

 perts;" Vaccinium Myrtillus (Blaeberry) ; Vaccinium Vitis-Idcea, 

 and Arctostaphylos Uva- Ursi. Vaccinium Vitis-Idcea is the badge 

 of the clan Macleod, and Empeirum nigrum is that of the clan 

 Maclean. 



Mile after mile passed away, and we reached a bend of the 

 river, and the scenery changed. There was nothing now before 

 us but a wide, peaty, benty moor, wet as a sponge, and cut up by 

 the water into hollows and ruts, leaving hillocks of peat between 

 — the most fatiguing kind of ground to walk over. Our course 

 still lay along the low banks of the river. Nothing was to be seen 

 but the rounded hills behind us, gently rising on either side backed 

 on the left hand by high hills, with Ben-na-Bynach in front of us. 

 as if the guardian of the desolate hollow. The clouds, that had 

 looked heavy, now began to give forth their contents. Yet a 

 thought of returning never entered our minds. We crossed the 

 Ailnach, and struck through a heavy piece of peat-bog, leaping 

 from hillock to hillock, to a shepherd's bothie. These bothies 

 are somewhat primitive in their construction. The couples are 

 placed first, and on the ground, with uprights about four or five 

 feet high. The wall is then filled in between the uprights with 

 big stones ; and outside the stones is built another wall of turf. 



