The Scottish Naturalist. 



peculiarity of the scenery of the West Coast which is especially 

 remarkable, and that is the extraordinary brilliancy and richness 

 of the greens that are derived from the mosses in the woods. 

 Really, when the sun shines on some of the green mosses in the 

 woods in the neighbourhood of Inveraray, colours are produced 

 that I have never seen even attempted by the best artists. The 

 richness, the softness, the silkiness of the texture of many of the 

 cryptogams, is so very peculiar that if I had the pleasure of 

 addressing any artists — and I have seen several here lately sketch- 

 ing the woods — I should recommend them to try their hands on 

 the effects produced by these plants, becau* some of these details 

 in nature are too little attended to by artists, though if well repre- 

 sented they would produce most marvellous results. 



Perhaps you will permit me to mention a few circumstances that 

 have occurred to me in the course of my life in regard to the 

 cryptogam ic flora. 



The first is rather a curious story. Some 35 or 40 years ago 

 I had the honour of being president of the British Association 

 when it met in Glasgow ; and soon after that, on a very stormy 

 afternoon, on the side of Duniquoich, I noticed one of two or 

 three ravens overhead with something curious, which looked like 

 prey, in its bill. On the bird passing above me I shouted in a 

 manner that made it drop what it carried, which I found to be a 

 fir cone in a peculiar condition. The scales of the cone, instead 

 of being directed in the usual way, were all reverted, folded back 

 towards the stalk, instead of towards the apex. On further exami- 

 nation I saw that there was something peculiar upon the scales, 

 and on looking at them through a pocket lens, which I always 

 carry for the purpose of such investigations, I found that they 

 were covered with a most beautiful pattern, something like a bee.'s 

 honeycomb. I had no conception of what that was ; but I for- 

 warded it to my friend Sir William Hooker, who wrote that I had 

 sent him the second specimen ever found in Scotland of a very 

 rare fungus. I am almost afraid to mention its name in the 

 presence of the members of this society lest I should make a mis- 

 take, but I was impressed by the circumstance to such an extent 

 that I think I may venture upon the name, which was, I believe, 

 Perichcena strobilina. Then the question arose, what induced 

 the raven to select that particular cone, and I asked Sir William if 

 lie thought the raven had a private museum and was carrying off 



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