West : Field Botany in Scotland. 



97 



got higher. This turned out correct, and we were soon above the 

 mist, which seemed to have a focus on Loch Tay. We were astounded 

 at the easy ascent as we had really no idea what the hill was like till 

 we were on it, for we had determined beforehand to start without 

 ordnance maps, so that it would add to the interest of the journey ; 

 it did add to the interest too, and I felt delighted at the idea of 

 wandering with an ordinary map of Scotland, the scale of which was 

 about eleven miles to the inch. My companion was my senior, and 

 possessed considerable experience of the English and Welsh hills, 

 which turned out to be of use, and I fairly chuckled as I thought how 

 he would have been certain of the impossibility of the fulfilment of 

 the journey had he caught hold of the ordnance maps. 



BKndia acuta seemed to be the chief feature on the rocks in the wet 

 places on one part of the hill ; it was accompanied, of course, by that 

 protean species Philonotis fontana, the latter being very tall. Splach- 

 num sphsericum, Hypnum stramineum, H. sarmentosum, H. revolvens, 

 Listichium capillaceum, Bryum bimum, B, pseudotriquetrum, B. 

 filiforme, Webera cruda, Diphyscium foliosum, Polytrichum strictum, 

 P. gracile, Sphagnum acutifolium var. fuscum, S. rubellum, Didy- 

 modon rubellus var. serrulatus, Jungermannia cordifolia, Plagiochila 

 asplenioides var. Dillenii, Nardia scalaris, N. emarginata, Eucalyx 

 obovata, Scapania undulata, S. uliginosa, Cetraria islandica, Micras- 

 teiias furcata, M. rotata, Cosmarium bioculatum, Pleurotaenium bac- 

 ulum, Nostoc rupestre, Synedra splendens, Cymbella gastroides, 

 Penium digitus, oblongum, Scytonema myochrous, Sirosiphon pul- 

 vinatus, Staurastrum brevispinum, and many other species were col- 

 lected at a good elevation. We continued the easy ascent over a 

 carpet of Juncus trifidus and Alchemilla alpina ; we soon came across 

 Cherleria sedoides (which mimics Leucobryum glaucam), Silene acaulis 

 was often found growing with it, and close by were Cochlearia alpina, 

 Polygonum viviparum, Sedum villosum, Saxifraga aizoides, S. stellaris, 

 Andreaea petrophila, Didymodon cylindricus, Distichium capillaceum 

 var. brevifolium, Racomitrium sudeticum, Dichodontium pellucidum 

 var. f agimontanum, Mnium cinclidioides, Pogonatum alpinum, Hypnum 

 uncinatum, H. scorpioides, H. trifarium, H. sarmentosum var. sub- 

 flavum which is generally found within the Arctic Circle, Junger- 

 mannia trichophylla, J. Mulleri, J. Juratzkana (not then recorded for 

 Britain, the only patch previously gathered in Britain, having been 

 collected in Wales shortly before by Mr. Pearson, to whose kindness 

 I am indebted for the determination of this and many other species, 

 and consisting of so small a supply as to be awaiting further specimens 



