1865.] BOTANICAL LETTERS FROM ARGYLESHIRE. 525 



dark headlands of the Irish coast south-westwards towards Sligo, 

 as well as the western shores of the Mull of Kintyre, the Mull 

 of Oa, in Islay, — nay, the very ocean itself, partaking of the same 

 fiery refulgence. Yonder is a large ship from the North Channel, 

 with all her snowy sails spread out to catch every breath of wind, 

 to enable her to clear the land and get onwards to the breast of 

 the ocean. The clear blue sky is still partaking of the golden 

 tinge reflected by the rays of the setting sun. 



Immediately beneath, are the bast hills on the shores of West 

 Port, consisting of peat-hills, covered with bast. 



Stretching away southwards towards the wide curving Bay of 

 Machrihanish and Salt Pans village, on the south side of the 

 bay, cows and sheep are grazing among the long bent, and one 

 or two specimens of humanity, wanderers, are slowly pacing along 

 the beach. 



Just as we are conversing about the beauties of the landscape 

 before us, and upon the eve of rising from our seat, we observe a 

 tall, middle-aged individual coming towards us, who, upon our 

 closer examination of him, I recognize as an enthusiastic amateur 

 botanist, who is very soon seated upon the green grass beside us, 

 admiring the gorgeous splendour of the evening, and the scenes 

 around. Our new acquaintance informs us that he too has been 

 rambling among the hills and glens all day, in search of wild 

 flowers. The names of those he informed me he had met with, I 

 then noted down, many of which, although only in passing 

 hastily, I observed myself during this day ; and if opportunity be 

 granted me this season, I mean to test the accuracy of the 

 whole, which is but a tithe of the plants to be found about West 

 Port and neighbourhood ; and as I am preparing a special cata- 

 logue for our Peninsular Flora, I hope ere long to be able to 

 enumerate a greater array of plants and their habitats. Mean- 

 time I subjoin the names noted : — 



Gentiana campestris. Aspleniuin Adiantum-ni- Vicia sylvatica. 



Armeria maritima. grum. Vicia Cracca. 



Lithospermum maritimuin. Scolopendrium, 1 sjo. and Habenaiia bifolia. 



Sedum acre. 2 vars. Habenaria alba. 



Aster Tripoliiim. Botrycbium Liinavia. Habenaria viridis. 



Convolvulus Soldanella. Kubus saxatilis. Pinguicula lusitanica. 



Cakile maritima. Salix nigricans. Orcbis mascula. 



Crambe maritima. Salix Forbesii ? Orchis maculata. 



Asplenium marinum. Galium saxatile. Orchis latifoHa. 



Asplenium Trichomanes. Galium palustre. Solidago Yirga-aurea. 



