CHAP. vi. FERNS IN JUNE. 57 



was there in thousands. By and by everything would 

 be in bloom. 



Even on the 24th of June midsummer day 

 the ferns were not fully out. " The first fern I saw," 

 says Dick, " was Lastrea dilatata, but it was so ugly that 

 it was not worth looking at a second time. The next I 

 saw was Asplenium trichomanes, or Common Maiden 

 Hair ; but the specimens were too small for my pur- 

 pose. The next was the Black-stalked Spleenwort. I 

 passed through a forest of brackens, and saw the Northern 

 Hard Fern, and the Black Bog-rush a plant rare in 

 Scotland, even on the west coast. I passed on and went 

 up-hill, where I saw the Beech Fern and many other 

 plants, of which European Sanicle was the most abun- 

 dant. It was once thought to cure every disease, and 

 was called ' Self-heal.' I saw the Common Polypody, 

 and the Oak Polypody. Up the hill the Foxglove was 

 the most conspicuous. I also found "Woodruff, Spotted- 

 leaved Hawkweed, and Persian Willow; white roses and 

 red roses ; and other plants too numerous to mention. 

 I wound along by a sheep-road to the hill-top, and lay 

 down, looking across the dead level of the county. I 

 counted thirteen lochs ! " 



At the beginning of July, he adds, "We are just 

 getting into first-rate order here as to wild plants. We 

 shall by and by have a grand display of yellow flowers 

 all yellow ; tens of thousands, and ten times ten, 

 all destined to pass away after fulfilling the great end 

 for which they came into flower leaving seed for times 

 to come times without end." 



