24 Field Meetings. 



Polypwus helulinus growing on an old, rotten Birch. Along the 

 Dee the little Sundews were gi-owing in gi-eat abundance, with the 

 remains of their insect food adhering to their viscid leaves. Great 

 quantities of the Scented Fern (Lastrea oreopteris) grow on the 

 hillsides, and perfumed the air with delightful fragrance as the 

 party trod the fronds down in walking through them. Insects were 

 rather scarce, owing to the strong wind. There were very few 

 butterflies abroad : a single specimen of the Common Blue, a few 

 of the Little Heath, were secured, and several of Ccenonynijyha 

 Tiphon var. Philoxenus, which adds Slogarie as a new locality for 

 this interesting variety, the only previously known locality in 

 Scotland being Cloak Moss, Colvend, where it was found by 

 Dr Buchanan White, of Perth. Several other Lepidoptera were 

 subsequently captured, amongst them being Melanippe hastata, 

 Noctua 2)lecfa, a very high-coloured exami>le of the Clouded Buff 

 Moth ( Eutliemonia russula) by Mr Bruce, Agrotis porphyrea by 

 Mr Moodie, Acronycta rumicis, Tanagra choirophyllata, Fyrausta 

 purpuralis, &c. At Loch Stroan the party were rowed across to 

 Clachrum Wood, now the only remaining portion of the great 

 forest which in primitive times is supposed to have covered the 

 whole of Galloway with an almost impenetrable thicket. The 

 trees are not very lofty ; indeed, the sorts are not tall growers, 

 being, with the exception of a few Ashes, principally Eowan, 

 Hawthorn, Birch, and Sloe. One of Eowan is the largest we have 

 seen or heard of, measuring at three feet from the ground nearly 

 nine feet in girth. In wandering through the wood a Roe Deer 

 was started, and one of the party killed a fine Adder. A " Game- 

 keeper's Museum " on a small scale was found on one of the trees, 

 the specimens comprising skulls of the Hoodie Crow, Hawks, and 

 Weasels, nailed up in the usual fashion. A little further down, 

 on the side of Loch Stroan, some large boulders were shown that 

 had been carried across the loch by the ice last winter. 



After a short time spent here, the party again embarked and 

 rowed a few miles further up the Dee, the journey being enlivened 

 by some well rendered songs by the well-known editor of the 

 Kirkcudbrightshire Advertiser. At the bend of the Dee, not far 

 from Gairloch, the party left the boat to pursue theii- studies 

 afield. A few of the Members started across the moor to visit 

 the Martyrs' Monument on Auchencloy, which was reached after 

 a stiff walk of several miles amongst bogs and morasses. The 



