The Scottish Nattiralist. 39 



to 725 feet above sea level; the north-east boundary being a 

 ridge of from 200 to 700 feet in height. More or less imme- 

 diately to the southwest of the northern boundary there is an 

 abrupt descent (in many places formed by precipitous rocks) 

 followed by a more gradual but still very steep decline to about 

 100 feet above sea level, and then a gentler slope to about 30 

 feet on the southern boundary of the area. The ridge, which 

 varies considerably in width, and the abrupt slopes (except 

 where these are not actually rocky precipices), are more or less 

 thickly wooded, all the various indigenous leaf trees and the 

 usual coniferous trees being represented, with here and there a 

 considerable undergrowth of heather, blaeberry, broom, furze, or 

 bracken. The other plants include all those common to this 

 part of the country, with a sprinkling of more local and rarer 

 species. From 100 feet downwards there are the usual culti- 

 vated fields intermixed with plantations and permanent pasture, 

 and including Moncreiffe gardens and shrubberies. 



Geologically the hill is eruptive trap of the Old Red-sandstone, 

 the lower grounds being covered with alluvial deposits of the 

 usual nature. 



I shall now proceed to enumerate the species which inhabit 

 the district, at the same time indicating their distribution 

 therein. 



DIURNI. 



The butterflies are not numerously represented in species 

 and call for few remarks. 



Pieris Brasskce, Rapce, and Napi are all numerous along 

 the base, and flit about in great numbers up to 200 feet, above 

 which BrassiccE is seldom seen, and all become less numerous 

 as one gets further from the gardens, although the two latter 

 are to be met with to the top. 



Anthocharis Cardaniines is not very common, and I have never 

 observed above half-a-dozen in a season. 



Fararge Egeria. — I have only taken tw^o or three specimens 

 of this butterfly at Moncreiffe, and cannot discover that it has 

 been a common insect here. 



F. Megcera I have only observed two or three times since I 

 commenced collecting, but Mr. Herd tells me that it was formerly 

 a common insect about Moncreiffe. Why this should be so I 

 am unable to form any opinion, as the grass parks round about 

 the house where it is said to have abounded are in much the 



