EXTENSION IN STIRLINGSHIRE. 83 



lying Counties," p. 88, it will be seen that already there are 

 indications of advance in this eastward direction in Linlith- 

 gow and Edinburgh, though no doubt stream-waves from 

 Stirlingshire and from TuUiallan centre will coalesce, as 

 partially exemplified by the Dalmeny example, shot in 1877, 

 which, as already shown, in all probability came "across seas " 

 from Pitreavie {v. Fife). 



Another outlet into Stirlingshire from Perthshire may pos- 

 sibly be found in the woods of Cardross, at the side of the Lake 

 of Monteith ; but there is this against that line, that Cardross 

 woods lie in a hollow, and at present — except isolated woods 

 at Gartmore and Duchray (near Loch Ard), and on Garden, 

 and stripes of wood on Eoss Priory, Loch Lomond side — there 

 is little to lead them from it in a direction round the western 

 spur of the central range of hills in Stirlingshire. It is per- 

 haps uncertain at present whence the birds which bred at 

 Milngavie came ; whether by this route, or from the eastward 

 by Chasefield, near Denny ; but we think prohaUy from 

 Cardross direction, as we find connecting links in Stirling- 

 shire of occasional occurrences at Eoss Priory, Killearn, and 

 Culcreuch, near Fintry. When the woods grow higher upon 

 Ballikinrain estate, near Fintry, another natural 'forest 

 stepping-stone' will be afforded, but that cannot weU take 

 place for a number of years yet. * 



The principal distribution of wood in the county is on 

 Meiklewood, near Stirling, and westward on Leckie and 

 Gargunnock, to Boquhan, Arngomery, and Garden, along the 

 north slope of the Gargunnock and Fintry hills. There are 

 young plantations of considerable extent upon Ballikinrain. 

 Again, southward from Stirling, is a range of wood from 

 Meiklewood, through Touch, Sauchie, Auchinbowie, Dales- 

 wood, Torwood, Quarter (where 60 acres of wood is just 

 34 years planted), and Chasefield — all more or less occupied 

 at present by the birds. These latter properties and localities 

 lie along the eastern slope of the Touch and Denny hills, a 



