XXV111 NOTES ON THE FLORA OF CLYDESDALE. 



direction, on the other hand, the Campylopi degenerate and thin off, 

 while the number of species is varied by the occasional intrusion of 

 C. brevipilus, as near Tyndrum, a moss which, according to my experi- 

 ence, may be said to have its centre of spread in Rosshire in the 

 neighbourhood of Auchnault and Loch Maree. On Ben Lawers, still 

 further east, there is scarcely a Campylopus to be seen, with the 

 exception of C. torfaceus sparingly on the sides of drains near the 

 base, while C. compactus is confined to one or two spots in the 

 western ravine already alluded to. Near the east coast these mosses 

 again appear in somewhat greater profusion, but not nearly to the 

 same extent as on the west. 



2d. Sphagna, although common everywhere in uncultivated, and 

 more especially boggy or marshy ground, whether Highland or Low- 

 land, are to be met with in greater profusion in our western glens 

 and on the sides of the mountains than anywhere else, and not only 

 so, but the diversity of species and even of forms is more manifest 

 so far as my experience goes. 



3d. Near Bowling on the Clyde is a prominent rock called Dum- 

 buck, partly basaltic, partly amorphous, and bordered at no great 

 distance by the Old Bed Sandstone, on which is found a crowd of 

 mosses of the genus Grimmia. No fewer than eleven species have 

 been detected within an area of a dozen yards, and amongst these 

 are the rare and beautiful Gr. leucophoea, Or. subsquarrosa, Gr. Hart- 

 manni, &c. Now it is remarkable that on the chain of detached 

 rocks of similar geological formation that stretch at intervals across 

 Scotland from Dumbarton Kock to Arthur's Seat through Stirling 

 Castle Eock, are found members of the same group of mosses, and 

 nowhere else. This group includes also the rare Tor tula Mutter i. 

 On the same rock have been detected minute patches of Glyphomi- 

 trium Damesii (Schwaeg.) in a barren state. The indefatigable 

 researches of Mr. W. Gait and Mr. G. Thomson have shown that 

 the area of growth of this curious and interesting moss is much more 

 extended than was previously thought. It has been found on almost 

 all the basaltic trap-rocks that crop up at Dumbuck, hills behind 

 Bowling, Kilpatrick, round near Milngavie, thence backward towards 

 Killearn as the Whaiigie. This constitutes what may be termed a 

 somewhat elevated table-land having a diameter of about 8 miles. 

 More recently this moss has been detected on rocks of a correspond- 

 ing formation in the islands of Mull and Skye. 



4th. Here and there throughout this district of Scotland are to be 

 found as elsewhere certain isolated plants that do not betray close 

 affinities to any others, and for whose intrusion it is difficult to give 

 any feasible explanation. The thought is apt to strike one that they 

 are the remains of a former flora that has nearly passed away, having 

 served its turn in the grand order of things. As these anomalies in 

 the case of this district are unusually interesting I propose to enume- 

 rate several ; and first amongst these is Orthodontium gracile. 



