GLASGOW SOCIETY OF FIELD NATURALISTS. 55 



start, ovir first day being only half a one (we were not off the 

 coach till two o'clock). This morning promised well; the top 

 standing out clear against the blue sky, and in the soft morning 

 light looking beautiful. Not a cloud was in the sky, and we were 

 eager to be off. But it was first necessary to breakfast, and to 

 breakfast well, for except a slice of bread and cheese we should get 

 nothing till eight or nine o'clock at night. And we did breakfast 

 well, as might be expected. Another important matter had to be 

 attended to, filling our flasks, and then, after a preliminary nip, 

 although it was rather early for that sort of thing, we set off, 

 pipes all going briskly, for the same scene visited already. The 

 first stiff climb began to display the stiffness of limb brought on 

 by our previous exertion, and it was not till after a couple of hours' 

 climbing that we began to feel fresh again. The first half of the 

 day was spent at the scene of the previous day's labours, and we 

 were successful in getting some good mosses, but not any very 

 rare ones. Then to the top, the climb being very steep, amongst 

 large boulders, which hid all view, save of the opposite hill. From 

 the cairn at the top a magnificent view is obtained of the sur- 

 rounding country for a great distance. To the north and west a 

 splendid bird's-eye view of the various passes and glens — Glen 

 Lyon, (fee, with the lochs and mountains in the distance, Ben 

 Wyvis in E,oss-shire being quite discernible. At our feet, half- 

 way up the mountain, lay the little loch, " Loch-na-Cat," and 

 beyond it lay mountains piled on one another with infinite 

 grandeur. At the foot of the mountain, to the south-east, Loch 

 Tay was shining in the sun, ai\d beyond it we were told we could 

 even see Edinburgh with a glass. At the head of Loch Tay 

 Killin could be discerned amidst the woods, with Ben Yorlich 

 and Ben More to form a background. Altogether the view is 

 nearly unequalled in Scotland, which is saying a great deal. 

 Although the day was clear and beautiful, still it was cold and 

 blowy, and we descended about a hundred yards to the Sappers' 

 gully, known to every botanist as the only spot in this country 

 for the Saxifraga cernua. 



Here we lunched, but our more eager botanists soon commenced 

 a search for the Saxifraga, and before long the cry, " Here it is!" 

 broke up our pic-nic, and a minute search was instituted over the 

 rocks. Although by no means plentiful, yet it was satisfactory to 

 see that there is no chance of its being exterminated for a year or 

 two yet. As every botanist who visits Ben Lawers must needs 



