232 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



I made a very thorough examination of its whole area on 

 several occasions during 1893, noting every species of 

 flowering plant on it, and also marking the degree of 

 prevalence or rarity of each. Of the numerous " casuals," I 

 took one or more examples as vouchers, regulating the 

 number of specimens taken by the commonness of each 

 species. In each of the following seasons I have renewed 

 my examination of its flora, and have noted most carefully 

 any variations from my previous records in species dis- 

 appearing, or newly detected, or tending to die out or to 

 increase. In 1894 a double line of rails was laid down 

 almost the whole length, and a little nearer the north side of 

 the ground. These rails were laid down on a thick bed of 

 cinders ; and during the past two years cinders have been 

 laid down over a considerable width at each side of the rails, 

 so as to raise the ground to the level of the adjoining 

 railway. Thus, especially at the narrower western part of 

 the ground, a great part of the surface exposed in 1893 is 

 now under cinders to a depth, in some places, of several feet ; 

 but more than half of the area is still as it was in that year. 

 Certain tracks used as cart-roads before enclosure, and in 

 this way beaten harder than the rest, were very bare during 

 the first year or two, and are still traceable by their shorter 

 herbage, but are now (August I 896) for the most part green 

 with low plants. Few bare places are now visible on the 

 original surface, though one or two spots on which loads of 

 sawdust had been laid down are still nearly so. The surface 

 of the cinders is still very bare, except where covered or 

 mixed with earth. Its only vegetation is short scattered 

 herbs, or here and there grow masses of deep-rooted plants, 

 such as Docks. Some heaps of earthy rubbish beside the 

 double : line are rich in a few kinds of plants characteristic of 

 such habitats. 



The herbage over the whole extent is darkened with soot 

 from the smoke of the many engines constantly occupied in 

 shunting carriages and trucks on the double line, or on the 

 adjoining railways. Near the mills the plants bear a more 

 or less evident coat of white dust. As the ground has been 

 left unreaped, and in fact almost unaltered, except where 

 covered with cinders, the plants have had an excellent oppor- 



