54 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



In the loch I noticed Ranunculus Baudot 'ii, Hippuris vulgaris, 

 Littorella jitncea, Potamogeton gramineus (hetorophyllus), P. per- 

 foliatus, P. pectinatus, Elodea canadensis, etc. On the margins 

 Ranunculus Lingua, R, sceleratus, Potentilla palustris, Galium Wither- 

 ingii, Pedicularis palustris, Orchis latifolia, Sparganium erectum, 

 Triglochin palustre, Eleocharis palustris, Carex canescens, C. rostrata, 

 Phragmites communis, Equisetum limosuni and var. fluviatile, Typha 

 latifolia, etc., were noticed. 



Local tradition asserts that the sea at no distant date came close 

 to the loch, if indeed it was not directly connected with it ; but 

 the only plant noticed in the loch which is suggestive of brackish 

 water is the Ranunculus Baudotii, which is, I believe, a new county 

 record. The marshes near, however, yield two plants which support 

 the tradition referred to, viz. Scirpus Taberncemontani and Scirpus 

 rufus, the latter of which gradually merged into the var. bifolius. 



Salix stipularis is plentiful by the loch ; S. triandra, S. aurita x 

 cinerea, and S. rubra also occur. The walk from Elgin to Spynie 

 yielded several interesting plants. On sandy ground near the town 

 Silene conica occurs. It is, I should think, native there. In culti- 

 vated ground near to the town Fumaria Borcei, Papaver Argemone, 

 Sisymbrium Thaliana, Brassica alba, Viola tricolor, V. arvensis, 

 Lychnis Githago, Sagina apetala, Malva sylvestris, Erodium 

 cicutarium (as the plant with spotted petals), Mcdicago lupulina, 

 Sherardia arvensis, var. hirsuta, Baguet, Myosotis versicolor, Veronica 

 agrestis, Lamium amplexicaule, Arrhenatherumprecatorium, Scleranthus 

 animus, etc., were gathered. 



The railway banks afforded \Medicago satira, \Poteriiun muri- 

 catum, Hieraciuni rigidum, f Campanula rapunculoides, f Crepis 

 setosa, Daucus Carota, Festuca arundinacea, etc. 



^Chrysanthemum Parthenium is naturalised on the walls of the 

 Cathedral. Mr. A. Fryer kindly looked at the pond-weeds for me. 

 The Rev. E. F. Linton remarks that the Salix stipularis has a great 

 look of .S". Caprca x viminalis. It was abundant on the eastern 

 side of the loch, where plants of undoubted viminalis x Caprea 

 were growing. I saw Rubus villicaulis in Elgin. G. CLARIDGE 

 DRUCE, M.A., F.L.S. 



Notes of Plants observed about Torres and Findhorn. The 



sandy district about Findhorn is well worth a visit, and a more 

 prolonged search than I had time to give. Ranunculus Baudotii is 

 found between Findhorn and Forres, but is much nearer to the 

 former place. In the same marsh grew Scirpus rufus, which here, 

 as at Spynie, merged into the var. bifolius that is, if the length of the 

 bract is the decisive character. An immense quantity of Erythrcca 

 littoralis, forma minor, Hartm., was conspicuous. Juncits balticus, 

 J. Gerardi, Carex extensa, and Scirpus Taberntzmontani also occurred. 

 On the sandhills and in the neighbourhood of Findhorn I observed 



