THE BOTANICAL FEATURES OF THE SIDES OF LOCH NESS. 
Spartiiim scoparium. Broom. 
Gcmsta anf/Uca. Petty Whin. — An elegant and not 
uncommon yello^r little He.ith plant. 
Lycopodiiim clavatiim. Deer's Grass. — A serpentine 
and creeping plant. The badge of the clan M'Kenzie. 
Lotus corniadatus. Bird's-foot Clover. — It is on 
this that the lover of the flowery lea will oftenest and 
most delightedly dwell, and in the Highlands he will 
find abimdauce of it. It is said to give the sweetest 
milk of aU oiu' natural pastiu'e or meadow plants, and 
for many reasons it would be desii'able to coUeot and 
diffuse its seeds. 
Trifolium repeyis and pratense. "White and Eed 
Clover. — Both common, and it is hy the flowers and 
green foliage of the former that the eye is often at- 
tracted to the grave of some hero who has fallen on his 
native heath. It is well known that where a body has 
been placed, the heather wUl not encroach on its mould 
for many a day, — witness the green graves on the Field 
of Culloden. 
Mcdieago liipidina. Black Medick. — A lovely but 
common slender plant. 
Thymiis serpyllum. Wild Thyme. — Very abundant. 
Orobus ttd>erosus. Heath Pea. — Not unfrequent. 
Trientalis europma. Chickweed Winter Green. — 
The interest attached to this most beautiful miniature of 
a shrub is well known. I have only to observe on it 
that many of the woods and open heaths in the vicinity 
of Inverness are qxiite bedecked with it. 
Gnaplt(ditun dioiciim. \ Cudweeds. — Both com- 
Gnaphaltum sylvaticiim. ] mon. 
L^pilobium palusfre. Willow Herb. 
Ejrilobitmi angtmtifolium. In two or three places. 
Ajiiya reptans. Common Bugle. 
Euphrmia officinalis. Eye Bright. 
Odontites rulira. Eed Bartsia. 
Mhinanthus Crista galli. Rattle. 
Pedicidaris paliistris. Lousewort. 
Finguicida vulgaris. Butterwort. — Very common 
and characteristic. 
Finguicula Imita^iica is not imcommon towards the 
coast. 
Finguicida alpina. Not yet found here, though it 
occurs in Boss-shire. 
Poly gala vulgaris. Milkwort. — We have all the 
four varieties, and they are among the earliest and most 
beautiful of spring flowers. 
Polygonum viuiparum. Alpine Bistort. — A beautiful, 
and, I find, highly valued species, and one by no means 
rare. 
Galium palustre. Lady's Bed Straw. 
Eriophorum vaginatum and gracilc. Cotton Grasses. 
— Extremely abrmdant, and chai'acteristic of wet marshy 
heaths. 
III. — Okchide.e occureinr in Woods and Pastures, but more frequently in the latter. 
Orchis Morio. Meadow Orchis. 
Orchis mascula. Early Spotted Orchis. 
Orchis pyrnmidalis. Pyramidal Orchis. 
Orchis latifiilia. Marsh Orchis. 
Orchis macidata: Spotted Palmate Orchis. 
Gymnadcnia conopsea {0. conopsea). Fragrant Orchis. 
Habenaria viridis. Green Habenaria. 
IV. — Plants found on the Margin of Loch Ness, and of the Rivers running into it. 
Habenaria albida. White Habenaria. 
Habenaria bifolia (0. bifolia). Butterfly Habenaria. 
Zistcra cordata. Heart-leaved Twayblade. — As a 
general locality, I may say that most of these occur 
within two miles of the Falls of Foyers, and from thence 
towards Boleskine and the " Black Rock." 
Of these I shall only notice a very few characteristic 
ones, leaving out the Cyperacese, JrmceiB, and Graminece, 
the species of each of which too much resemble one an- 
other to constitute an individual detached appeai'ance 
in the group. 
Sanunculus Flammula. Spearwort. 
R. aguatilis. Water Crowfoot. 
if. hederacem. Ivy-leaved Crowfoot. 
Silene maritima. Bladder Campion. 
Caltha palustris. Marsh Marigold. 
Angelica sylvestris. Water Angelica. 
Iris Pscud-Acorus. TeUow Iris. 
Lobelia Dortmanna. Water Lobelia. — Not very 
common on this, but extremely abundant on the lakes 
of the west coast. 
Plan1<igo maritima. Sea Plantain. 
Aquilcgia rulgaris. Columbine. — This stately plant, 
which I have nowhere else met with in the Highlands, 
occurs in great quantities, and is imdoubtedly native 
on the stony beach at the mouth of the River Foyers. 
Flowers both purple and white. 
Campanula latifolia. Giant Bell-flower. Doubtful 
if native on Loch Ness, but unqestionably so on Teanassie 
Bum, which flows iato the river Beauly. 
I have now completed this general arrangement of the vegetable productions of the neighbour- 
hood of Loch Ness. I have shown, I hope, the principal species which figure most in the general 
landscape, and added such of the minuter kinds as are considered rare in this quarter, or which 
had some pecxdiar beauty to recommend them. It will have been observed that I have taken no 
notice of our tme Alpine plants, and this will be explained by remarking, that scai-cely any of them 
occnr ill the immediate vicinity of the lake, or on the lower ridges, to which I restricted my exami- 
nation. The depth of water in Loch Ness, which on an average is ninety fathoms, if not rather more, 
has no doubt a considerable influence in produciug the remarkable amenity of the climate, esjjecially 
along the corn and woodland region on the banks ; but even far up in the lateral valleys, which branch 
off from the Great Glen, and especially in Glen Urquhart, the same softness of the air is observable. 
The cottages and inn there are favom-ite places of retreat to invalids, and in some of the large gardens 
(such as General Cameron's, at Polmaily) not only do all the ordinary culinary vegetables and fruit 
trees thrive, but peaches and apricots also ripen on the open wall, and the finest annuals and florists' 
flowers attain perfection. Hydrangeas, with the common scaiiet Geraniums, and the more hardy 
Fuchsias, such as F. coecinea and F. Riccartoni, stand out the winter in the open border without any 
And before some of the cottages I have seen Fuchsias and Chinese Roses in full bloom even 
