230 ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND. 



morus, and many besides which it is unnecessary to mention. Near the summit 

 of White Coom, in a mossy rill, I observed Cerastium alpinum, and in 1832 

 found a single specimen of Phleum alpinum. I am informed that a few other 

 species have been met with, but in general the alpine vegetation is so scanty as 

 completely to disappoint the student who has been accustomed to search the 

 Grampians. 



At the base of this mountain, or rather at the base of the ridge that forms the 

 western side of the very narrow valley of Moffat Water, are two peculiarly 

 interesting ravines. That in which is the celebrated waterfall of " the Grey 

 Mare's Tail" breaks in upon the ridge to the length of five hundred yards or so, 

 and presents a semi-circular termination about 300 feet in height. The rock 

 being split into strata, nowhere shews continuous surfaces of any extent, but is 

 broken into small shelves, and for the most part covered with vegetation. The 

 strata, which run S. E. and N. W., are inclined to the west at an angle of about 

 50°. The Peregrine Falcon nestles in this recess, as the Eagle did of old on the 

 island of Loch Skene ; but the latter species has been extirpated, and the former 

 is rare in the district. 



It is somewhat remarkable that in these lower ravines, and in the cuts here 

 termed " cleughs," are to be found the same alpine plants as in the broken ground 

 on the higher part of the mountains. Almost all those mentioned above, occur 

 in the ravine of the Grey Mare's Tail, intermixed with other species, of which a 

 few of the more interesting may be mentioned : — Aira flexuosa,A. ccespitosa, Fes- 

 tuca duriuscida, Triodia decumbens, Melica ccerulea, Angelica sylvestris, Hera- 

 cleum sphondyllium, Solidago virgaurea, Hieracium sylvaticum, H. paludosum, 

 Leontodon taraxacum, Scrophularia nodosa, Geranium sylvaticum, Rubus idceus, 

 R. saxatilis,Circcea lutetiana, Vicia sylvatica, Scabiosa succisa, Blechnum boreale, 

 Aspidium filix-mas, A. fdix-fcemina, A. oreopteris, Polypodium vidgare, P. 

 dryopteris, Pteris aquilina, Asplenium viride, Hymenophyllum Wilsoni, Crypto- 

 gramma crispa, Cystopteris fragilis. The trees which occur in the ravines, but 

 are nowhere else to be seen in the district, are generally of very small size, and 

 belong to the following species : — Betula alba, Alnus glutinosa, Mespilus oxya- 

 cantka, Pyrus aucuparia, Fraxinus excelsior, Corylus avellana, Quercus robur. 



The other ravine above alluded to is nearer Birkhill, and presents on its south- 

 ern side a perpendicular rock, vertically fissured by seams of stratification, so as 

 to bear a strong resemblance to a group of basaltic eolumns, while its northern 

 side exhibits a fine display of curved and undulated strata, the layers being of 

 small depth, and consisting of grey-wacke and shale. 



From White Coom to Tweedscross the mountains extend from N. E. to S. W., 

 forming an undulated ridge, which, viewed from the plain above Moffat, presents 

 the appearance of a huge barrier, resembling the southern edge of the Grampians, 



