[July, 1857.] 145 



. PLANTS OF SNOWDON. 

 A few Observations on the Character of the Snowdonian Flora. 



Having spent more than two months last summer in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of Snowdon, and enjoyed the opportmiity of 

 several very interesting botanical rambles on the surrounding 

 mountains, perhaps a short account of some of the rarer plants 

 "which I obtained there may not be unacceptable to the readers 

 of the ' Phytologist.' There are only two stations on Snowdon 

 which I should consider to be worth a botanist's attention, as 

 being rich in alpine plants, viz. the precipitous sides of Cwm 

 Dyll above the copper-mines, especially those facing to the north- 

 east, and the less lofty though equally craggy precipices above 

 Cwm Glas, also facing north-east, and looking down upon the 

 Pass of Llanberis. The Ordnance Map wiU clearly indicate these 

 two localities, and by its help I would desire to direct attention to 

 a peculiar formation visible in the Snowdon district, and on 

 which I feel fully persuaded, from the experience I have had at 

 present, that all the rarer alpine plants of the Welsh Flora are 

 to be found. 



Supposing the tourist to be ascending by the ordinary route 

 from Capel Curig, directly he attains the level of the upper lake, 

 the waters of which are of the most vivid green, through receiv- 

 ing the drainage of the neighbouring copper- mines, — if he turns 

 his eyes towards the precipices immediately below the highest 

 peak, Y Wydffa, which rises almost perpendicularly to a height of 

 1500 feet on his left, he will observe a thin band of rock, passing 

 in a vertical direction down the precipices, clearly distinguished 

 from the surrounding mass of clay-slate by its lines of stratifica- 

 tion being disposed horizontally instead of nearly vertically, and 

 then crossing over the upper part of the valley before him, as- 

 cending the precipices again on his right, till it becomes lost to 

 \dew in the heights of Crib-y-Desgil and Crib Goch. On a 

 closer inspection'^ this rock will be found to be of a totally diffe- 

 rent nature to that of the formations on either side ; it consists 

 almost entirely of an indurated sandstone, the softer parts of 



* The Geological Ordnance Map does not mark it clearly : can any of your 

 readers furnish a little information as to its character ? 



N. S. VOL. II. U 



