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139.

4.7.53, cont.  N. Corrie, Ben Lawers, MP., cont.

N. face where we saw many of the rarer plants such as Myosotis alpestris, Erigeron, Juncus castaneus - single plants on the wetter slopes below the cliffs — Carex saxatilis & capillaris, Viola lutea, Saussurea, Salix lapponum, Armeria, &c.  On reaching top, struck across the upper corrie — where the snow lies — & found C. parallela? in what I think is, or is near to, [[strikethrough]] Sandwith's original [[/strikethrough]] Meikle's 1952 habitat.  We then cut across to the upper end of the cliffs of An Stuic & walked E. along their base seeing the usual plants including two of Woodsia & a large patch of Cnicus heterophyllus on a densely plant-covered ledge.  And so down to the Lochan & home by the usual path at 6.15. 

NB.  On 28th June Grant Roger & his friend Dr. Fraser Ross reported many flowers in the Cornus suecica on left bank of the Lawers Burn below Lochan-no-Cat but at 11.30 AM. on 29th & again today we saw not a flower on it.  Hence the question arises, are there two patches of this plant?  The station for it described by G. Roger seemed to agree with that of the colony well-known to us & to which I had directed him.


140.

4.7.53, cont.  Ben Lawers, MP. cont.

On return to the hotel I found the enclosed letters from Mr. Sandwith (of Kew) relating to the specimens of his "Mysterious Sedge" sent him on the previous Tuesday (30th). 

Aphodius lapponum taken near the Lochan [in packet of 7.7.53!]


5th July 1953. Sunday. 
Heavy & continuous rain all day after 10.30 AM.


6th July 1953. 

A cool, bright, day with strong W. wind & some showers, but none on Ben Lawers, followed by more rain at night.  Marcus Graham left Lawers.  Joined by Duncan Poore, Mr. Colville & I set off up Ben Lawers from the hotel about 10 AM & guided by Poore saw the last known bits of Saxifraga rivularis on the N. face of the Eastern Ridge amongst large blocks of rock below a tor a few feet below the level of the ridge between 3,000 & 3,500 feet.  As very cold & windy here we went into the N. Corrie & keeping level made west for the rocky shooting up towards Creag-an-Fhithich (Raven's Rock), but stopped at first sheltered spot for lunch where found a tiny plant of Sagina nivalis about 1 1/2 inches in diameter covered with flowers & buds:  it was growing on a large, peaty, almost vertical bank along some rocks.  The plant was uprooted by Mr. Colville who thought it was only S. saginoides & while I retained one