RARE PLANTS IN ABERDEENSHIRE. 509 
forty-eight hours. Here, what with later rains and the differ- 
ence of latitude, vegetation had more the appearance of the end 
of spring, than the commencement of autumn. Strawberries 
were abundant in the market, other fruit and vegetables also 
late in the same proportion. 
Visiting the locality for Cystopteris Dickieana (viz. a sea-cave 
at the Cove), a small fishing village five miles south of Aberdeen, 
I was much disappointed to find the cave fallen in considerably, 
and the few plants remaining very small. I gathered however 
sufficient to identify C. Dickieana, C. dentata, and Asplenium 
marinum, Athyrium F.-f. marinum, in a beautiful state; also an- 
other very distinct form, of vigorous growth, somewhat eespndnalk 
ing the marinum form: Ligusticum scoticum, very abundant, As- 
tragalus hypoglotiis, Geranium sanguineum, Cochlearia officinalis, 
Hehanthemum vulgare. 
Being rather reluctant to return without some more tangible 
proofs of the Cystopteris, I examined many of the adjacent nooks 
and crevices without meeting it until near two miles beyond the 
Cove, towards Lighthouse Point; here, by a small rill that fell 
over the rocks, I managed to creep down and was gratified to 
find Cystopteris in profusion. It is growing on rocks which over- 
hang, so that the plants are much sheltered. I gathered fronds 
of C. Dickieana here from six to eight inches long; C. dentata 
also plentiful. The only instance a my meeting swith Osmunda 
regalis occurred here ; 1t was growing at the foot of the cascades. 
From the luxuriant specimens (Cystopteris) gathered here, and 
the abundance of plants noticed, I presume no ruthless hand had 
been plant-gathering here of late, whilst the difficulty of reaching 
the spot will always afford it protection from invaders, excepting 
perhaps those affected with the Fern-mania. I filled my box, 
with plants and fronds, leaving abundance for those who choose 
to follow by venturing the same road. 
North-east of Aberdeen, to the Spey, the land is much culti- 
vated; few hills of any magnitude occur. I met with few plants 
of interest, excepting Linnea borealis, in woods at Craibstone, 
beyond the quarries called “ Dancing Cairns,” Juncus balticus, 
near the sea, as between the Cove and Lighthouse Point, 7ien- 
talis europea, a common plant in most of the wooded parts, ac- 
companied generally by Goodyera repens. 1 may mention that 
Linnea borealis is also plentiful in the woods at Dufftown, thirty 
