82 Field Meetings. 



pass penetrates the hills to the Wall Path at the Roman Camp. 

 Between the Toll and Troloss there is a remarkably pretty 

 spectacle. On one side the road, the Lavern Burn precipitates 

 itself over the ridge of a hill, down whose side it has worn a deep 

 ravine, shelved with projecting rocks. Fi'oni shelf to shelf the 

 stream descends, and forms a succession of waterfalls from top 

 to bottom. Under a bridge over which the road passes the 

 stream continues to descend a precipitous bank to the green 

 meadow, where the Dalveen Lade receives it, and the two become 

 the Cari'on Water. The character of the scenery in the Dalveen 

 Pass is entirely unique. It has not the savage ruggedness of the 

 Enterkin ; it is a surprising combination of the wild and beauti- 

 ful ; and we know nowhere else that anything so picturesque in 

 its way may be seen as the long extent of meadow far down 

 beneath the level of the road, with the Carron glittering in silvery 

 sinuosities like a snake in the bright green grass, and the beauti- 

 fully rounded mountains carrying up the green of the meadow 

 against the blue of the sky. 



At Durisdeer Mill a pause was made, and some refreshment 

 partaken of at the establishment of Mr John Grierson, who 

 relieves the prosaic monotony of a country merchant's life by 

 writing and printing poems in a minute pre-Raphaelite vein. 

 Afterwards the party drew up at the site of Enoch Castle — of 

 which there is no stone left, but which was at one time a strong 

 fortress, situated on a precipitous bank of the Carron. At this 

 point the glen through which the Carron flows is one of the 

 sweetest bits of sylvan scenery conceivable ; and it is said that it 

 used to be a favourite resort of Gay when sojourning with the 

 Duke and Duchess of Queensberry at Drumlanrig. 



A short stay was made at Thornhill, where Dr Grierson's 

 wonderful garden and his only more wonderful museum were 

 hurriedly inspected, and his hospitality, as dispensed by his kindly 

 housekeeper Mary, was partaken of. 



The party returned to Dumfries by rail about eight o'clock, 

 everyone perfectly delighted with the day's proceedings. 



Mr Wilson furnishes the following list of plants, and Mr Lennon 

 the list of coleoptera : — 



List of Plants : Pingiucula vidgaris, Ramcnculus hederaceios, 

 in wet places on the hills ; Potamogeton nataiis, Draba verna, 

 Helianthemum vulgaris, Polygala vulgaris, Viola tricolor, Viola 



