96 



The Naturalist. 



task it was. 0, how I longed for a lantern to gather the fine speci- 

 mens of Lecanora tartarea, Pannaria rubiginosa and other good things 

 we had passed in the morning. I had also felt certain that I conld 

 find Habrodon Notarisii on the fine sycamore and ash trees which 

 border the stream, the search for which had also been postponed to the 

 return journey. 



The two now-weak Williams arrived at Fort William at 10-35 p.m., 

 quite ready for their second meal after divesting themselves of their 

 donkey-loads. 



The next morning we parcelled up our plants and had very little 

 time to spare before we started by steamer for Oban, else we should 

 have collected what marine algae we could have found about Fort 

 William. From Oban we rode through lovely scenery to Killin 

 Station where we booked our parcel of plants for Glasgow, and started 

 off with empty knapsacks for the Ben Lawers Hotel. We were soon 

 charmed into loitering by the tempting hunting grounds we had to 

 pass. Selaginella selaginoides we noticed in much greater profusion 

 than we had seen it on Ben Nevis, as well as the pretty rosettes of 

 Pinguicula vulgaris, while the walls were covered with Cystopteris 

 fragilis, especially with a blunt form which very much mimicked 

 Woodsia in shape. Myrica Gale, Nephrodium Oreopteris, Gentiana 

 campestris, Eacomitrium aciculare and similar plants were quite a 

 feature in the flora. Ulota crispa, Orthotrichum coarctatum, O. 

 tenellum, 0. aflane, Pogonatum urnigerum, P. aloides var. minus, 

 Eucalyx obovata with whited rootlets, Frullania dilatata, Pellia caly- 

 cina, Jungermannia barbata, J. pumila, Nardia scalaris, Parmelia 

 perlata, Evernia furfuracea, E. prunastri, Ramaiina fraxinea in fruit, 

 and R. farinacea were next gathered ; then we put the spurt on and 

 arrived at Killin, but did not stay till we had cleared the village, when 

 I determined in the dusk of the evening to hunt for Habrodon Not- 

 arisii, but my companion hurried on. However, I soon overtook him, 

 when he was glad to relieve me of part of the tiabrodon which I had 

 got, and he began to rejoice that it was now so dark (the only cir- 

 cumstance that helped his persuasiveness) that he could rely on my 

 rapid progression towards the inn, at which we arrived a little after 

 11-0 p.m., again ready for our second meal. The next morning "^e 

 wrapped up and labelled our gathering from Killin so as not to run 

 the chance of mixing them with our next collection, after which we 

 began the ascent of Ben Lawers through a heavy mist. We had 

 hopes that the mist would only be a thing of the early morn, and soon 

 were assured by a shepherd we saw that we should have it clear as we 



