342 NOTES ON THE FLORA OF BRAEMAR. [February, 



conveniently into three distinct groups : — 1. The Ben-na-muic- 

 dhui or Mona-rua range, extending from that vast group which 

 encircles round the sources of the Dee, as far as Ben Avon and 

 Little Craig-an-dal. — 2. The range to which Macgillivray has 

 given the name of the Mica-slate tract, extending from Scarsach 

 and Cairn Eelar, the two westerly extremities of Aberdeenshire, 

 as far as Glen Callater eastward. — 3. The Lochnagar group, which, 

 as Avell as the first-mentioned, consists entirely of granite. 



As regards elevation, the Ben-na-muic-dhui range is consider- 

 ably the loftiest, the principal mountains having been computed 

 by the Ordnance Survey at the following heights : — 



Ben-na-muic-dliui* . . . 4295 feet. 



Braeriadi 4238 



Cainitoul 4225 



Cairngorm 4090 



Ben-na-buird 3851 



Lochnagar, on the other hand, comes rather below the last of 

 those just enumerated, its summit being only 3789 feet above 

 the sea-level. Its isolated position however, and peculiar gran- 

 deur of outline, justly place it, in point of relative importance, 

 as well as interest, at the head of all the other mountains in 

 Braemar excepting perhaps Ben-na-muic-dhui. In the second 

 group. Glass Meal, the loftiest point along the whole range, is 

 computed at 3501 feet. 



It is difficult to say which of these three several groups is most 

 rich in its botanical products, as will be seen by the appended 

 list ; they each include about an equal number of rarities, some 

 few apparently confined exclusively to one or other district, but 

 the majority distributed generally over the entire area. The first of 

 the three has as yet been far less searched than the other two, so 



* The long- disputed question as to whether tMs mountain or Ben Nevis rightly 

 enjoys the reputation of being the loftiest point in the British Isles, has been finally 

 settled this summer by a fresh series of levels taken by the Ordnance Siu-veyors, 

 wliich has resulted in fixing their respective heights as follows : — Ben Nevis, 

 4406-31 feet ; Ben-na-muic-dhui, 4295-73 feet. 



I must be permitted to enter my protest here agamst the barbarous way in which 

 the name of tliis latter mountain is so commonly murdered in Guide-books and 

 Gazetteers, — I suppose, because Macis a common Scotch prefix. English, and per- 

 haps Scotch people too, think Ben-mac-dJini must be right ; but they woidd per- 

 haps be surprised to learn the true meaning of tlie name, wliich is " the hill of the 

 Uacle soiv" Mine being the Gaelic for sow, and dhui or dhu for Mack or darlc. 



