THOMAS HOPKIRK OP DALBETH. 221 



and the other with "leaves hairlike, very long,* 

 Ranunculus fiuitans, Lam. 



The Lucken Gowan (TrolUus europceus) grew then, 

 as it does yet, here and there over the district 

 in damp pastures and on the banks of rivers. It is 

 still to be found in all Hopkirk's stations, and the 

 one, "Banks of the Clyde at Kenmuir," is well known 

 to every Glasgow student of Botany. 



Cat-mint (Nepeta Cataria) is included in Kennedy's 

 Flora, on the sole authority of Hopkirk, as occurring 

 at Craignethan Castle. We find Hopkirk himself, 

 however, very uncertain as to the claims of the 

 plant to rank as even naturalised. He adds a note : 

 " Inserted on the authority of a person who sent 

 plants from thence, not having found it myself." 

 This is an authority of little value. Patrick gives 

 us a better assurance. He says: "I have seen a few 

 plants by the border of a field at Craignethan." 

 This makes us certain that the plant did grow 

 there in a somewhat uncultivated state ; but that it 

 was more than the remains of an old garden plot 

 that he saw, or a place where garden rubbish had 

 been put, is doubtful. It was cultivated about cot- 

 tages on account of its aromatic smell, somewhat 

 like mint or pennyroyal, and called Cat-mint because 

 cats were fond of it. There was a popular rhyme 

 which indirectly shows that it was much cultivated: 



"If you set it, the cats will eat it; 

 If you sow it, the cats don't know it." 



He records the Ground Ivy (Nepeta Glechoina), and 

 the only three mints that have really any claim to 

 be considered indigenous in Clydesdale— Mentha 

 hirsuta (now usually known as aquatica), M, ruhi^a 

 (M. sativajf and 31. arvensis. 



The only species of Lamium now recognised as 

 belonging to Clydesdale which he does not mention 

 is L. intermediuin, Fries, which had not then been 

 recognised as distinct. 



The two weeds of cultivated fields, Galeopsis 

 Tetrahit and G, versicolor, appear to have been quite 



Q 



