Field Meetings. 39 



Moneywort ( Lysirtuichia nemorum). In a boggy place at 

 the foct of the Glen a number of the rare Butterfly Orchis 

 were secured, thus worthily finishing the gathering of the 

 clay. Altogether nearly a hundred species of flowering plants 

 and grasses were found, leaving out of consideration such 

 species as are of general distribution in the district. 



For the Fourth Meeting, on August 3rd, so few members 

 turned out that it was decided not to keep a record of what 

 was done. 



The last meeting, on Saturday, 7th September, was 

 well attended. The party proceeded to Lochanhead by 

 the 12.20 train for Hills Tower and neighboui'hood. At the 

 quarry on the north side of the station Dr Gilchrist p:)inted 

 Gilt the chief features of the Silurian sti-ata, which dip west- 

 wards at an angle of about 70 deg., as elsewhere thi'oughout 

 the district. Above the quai'ry the Reindeer Moss was found, 

 and further on the Grass of Parnassus was gi'owing in the bog 

 in great abundance. Eu^ihra^ia officinalis, the E^'ebright, 

 and Pedicularis sylvatica, the Red Rattle, were also found in 

 company with other plants of less note. A deep ditch in 

 process of excavation was examined by the geologists, but 

 nothing but the usual features of the glacial drift was noticed. 

 A short distance further brought the party to the Castle of 

 Hills (or Loch Roiton, as it is termed by Grose), which is of 

 little historical importance, but is of some interest to the 

 archaeologist, from the fact that it forms a connecting link 

 between the old Scottish baronial peel or tower and the 

 modern mansion. It combines the external features of thg 

 former with the more prominent characteristics of the latter ; 

 for although the walls are crested with frowning battlements, 

 and the ground floor devoid of any nearer approach to win- 

 dows than two or three small looj)holes, the upper rooms are 

 large, well-lighted, and airy, with many of the conveniences of 

 modern life. The comparatively low and flat nature of the 

 site of the tower precludes its forming a prominent object in 

 the landscape, but, nevertheless, when viewed from a " vant- 

 age point " on the brae between it and the kirk, it forms a 



