Scottish and Skandinavia.n Floras. By Dr Stuart,. 89 



precipice 2000 feet high. This fall is well worth for itself 

 coming to the Scemidal to see, and I never intended proceeding 

 farther. However with the example of other adventurous spirits 

 I was enticed on, over a very rocky steep path indeed, enjojdng 

 the splendid views of mountain, wood, and water. The cloud 

 scenes were very memorable ; — gauzy films of white mist floated 

 horizontally along the rocky faces of the precipices : indeed the 

 first look of the Skidjefoss was through the mist which eventually 

 lifted, giving a complete prospect. The bulk of falling water 

 was not nearly so great as the Voeringfoss, but the height of the 

 fall from below was tremendous. On a huge mass of rock as 

 high as a church, fallen from above, standing in the middle of 

 the stream, one of our men climbed to the summit and brought 

 down a plant of Saxifraga Cotyledon, with a very fine head of 

 white flowers. The habit and inflorescence of this plant were 

 perfect, and different entirely from the ordinary type. I named 

 it Saxif: Cotyledon compacta, to enable us afterwards to dis- 

 tinguish it. Proceeding onwards we gathered Astragalus oroboi- 

 deus ; Convallaria polygonatum, a form of the Solomon's seal ; 

 Convallaria majalts, Lily of the Valley, in profusion and in fine 

 fruit; Maianthemum bi folium; Ranunculus aconitif'olius, a single 

 form of what is popularly known as Bachelor's Buttons, or Fair 

 Maids of France of our flower gardens; and Aconitnm septentrionale 

 plentifully near the upper fall. Campanula latifolia covered 

 entirely the sides of a dell, with many white specimens among 

 the blue — a most beautiful sight. Mulgedium alpinum, Blue 

 Sow-Thistle— such a rarity in Scotland — covered quarter of an 

 acre, in bright flower, which was of a much higher colour than 

 seen in Scotland. There were also Gentiana purpurea, Saussurea 

 alpina, and Stellar ia nemorum. On a moist ledge near the upper 

 fall Saxifraga cernua was got, but not in flower. Its habitat 

 here was somewhat different to that whereon it grows on Ben 

 Lawers, where it flourishes on drier rocks where no doubt it will 

 get plenty of misty vapour and rain, but not the very wet peat as on 

 this ledge on the Soemidal. I have rarely seen its flower expanded 

 either in Scotland or Norway. Fragaria collina grew by the 

 track; also Bartsia alpina, Rkamnus frangula, Arabis alpina, Silene 

 maritima, Hieracium aurantiacum, and Saxifraga aurantiaca. The 

 latter was hanging over a dripping rock, growing in the peat, 

 and the flowers were much darker than I have ever before seen. 

 It is growing with me in habit mid inflorescence perfectly 



