CHANGES WHICH TAKE PLACE IN PLANTS 277 



the President's permisBion to accompany the party, went 

 with me along the foot of these rocks, with not much 

 success botanically. However, on a wind-swept projection 

 of precipice I observed a tuft of Veronica saxatilis, with a 

 rose pink coloured corolla, the base of each corolla having 

 a deep crimson circle. Unfortunately the plant was growing 

 on a point of rock inaccessible to me. One of my companions 

 however, of lighter build, volunteered to climb to the 

 place, and with my Alpine-stock rooted out the tuft, which 

 fell over the rock at my feet. Another tuft a little further 

 off was also obtained, growing on bare rocks of similar 

 character. The colour of the corolla of Veronica saxatilis 

 is a blue of a lovely shade ; in this new variety it was 

 rose pink, equally beautiful. After growing this plant for 

 ten years, it has kept to its true pink colour in the main. 

 The produce of the seed has also come true — a beautiful 

 rose pink. Within the last year I was rather astonished, 

 at the flowering season, to observe a blue flower of the 

 type show itself. Whether this blue came from a chance 

 seed in the soil, or a reversion to the original Veronica 

 saxatilis, I cannot make out. At all events I do not consider 

 there was any crossing here. Veronica saxatilis var. sub-sp. 

 Stuarti is a true sub-species of V. saxatilis, and I shall 

 endeavour to prove it by another example. 



While botanizing with the Scottish Alpine Botanical Club 

 at the Spital of Glenshee. on a bye day I was fishing in 

 Glen Loxie, and on a high bank I observed several spikes 

 of a beautiful salmon pink Digitalis growing out of a 

 number of flowering spikes of the ordinary type. I had 

 no spud with me, but I cut out these salmon coloured 

 spikes from the clump of the ordinary type, and brought 

 them down to the hotel. The late Professor Dickson was 

 standing at the door when I arrived, and I showed him 

 those salmon coloured spikes. He enquired why I had not 

 brought the roots ; and further observed, I am afraid you 

 will lose those beautiful forms, the seed pods being in an 

 immature condition. The spikes were brought home with 

 me in my vasculum ; placed in bottles of water, in a 

 sunny window. After about three weeks some of the 

 pods ripened, and the seed was immediately sown in pans, 



