28 BOTANICAL TOUR IN THE 



mediately above the village ou the west is clothed with a dense 

 wood, which reaches nearly to its summit on the eastern side; 

 and the woods of Finlarig and Auchmore clothe the bases of the 

 hills which skirt Loch Tay on both sides of this its upper end. 

 The grand chain of the mountains of which Ben Lawers is facile 

 princeps, the most eminent, bounds the left or north-eastern 

 bank of Loch Tay; the mountain-range on the opposite or south- 

 eastern side is represented by Ben Chonzie. The distance from 

 the bridge of Dochart on the south to the bridge of Lochay on 

 the north is about a mile ; and this is the extent of the village, 

 which is rather open, for in this space there are several places 

 where there are no houses. 



On a meadowy margin of the river Dochart, before it receives 

 the Lochay, Plantago maritima was observed in considerable 

 quantity, also Polygonum viviparum, the latter very luxuriant On 

 the mountains this plant is plentiful, but generally very small, 

 seldom exceeding a few inches in height; here it was between 

 one and two feet high, and leafy in proportion, with a very long 

 spike. By the side of the stream Geranium pratense was also 

 observed for the first time. This fine plant we subsequently 

 found in abundance in Glen Lochay. 



Our first expedition from Killin was up the left side of the 

 river Dochart for a mile or two ; and here we thought we detected 

 Alisma natans, neither in flower nor in fruit : hence this point 

 must be regarded as uncertain. If it was this plant, it was the 

 only interesting alpine aquatic observed in our Highland tour. 

 From the bank of the river we ascended the very steep hill of 

 Shroineach Loch an, but noticed scarcely anything which we had 

 not previously observed. On the high rocks grew in luxuriant 

 patches Epilobium angustifolium, which had not yet (the llth of 

 July) expanded its bright purple blossoms. A fine object it is, 

 on these alpine craigs, when it is in full flower, which is about a 

 month later than the period when we observed it here. 



The views from the summit of this mountain were very exten- 

 sive, embracing the greater portion of Loch Tay, its bounding 

 mountain-chains, Glens Dochart and Lochay, Ben More, and 

 the far more distant hills of Athol and of the West Highlands. 

 The descent from the summit was not easily accomplished, nor 

 without some slight injury to our muscles. The road for there 

 is a cart-road leading over the mountain to the peat-moss is a 



