REPORTS ON EXCURSIONS. 9l 



position and boundary of their lands, it is not improbable that 

 the name Portincross {Port-^a-croise, " Harbour of the Cross ") 

 may have been derived from a crucifix thus set up beside the 

 Temple-land, and occupying so conspicuous a position as to be 

 a familiar object to every mariner who passed to and fro in 

 sight of the promontory of Ardneil. And so the little haven 

 among the rocks may have become known as the " Harbour of 

 the Cross." 



In the course of the walk from Portincross to Hunterston 

 many interesting plants can be observed, including Sea Campion 

 (Silene maritima, With.), Bloody Crane's-bill (Geranium sanguin- 

 eum, L.), Common Agrimony (Agrimonia Eupatoria, L.), Purple 

 Loosestrife (Lythrum Salicaria, L.), Parsley Water-Dropwort 

 (CEuanthe Lachenalii., C. Gmel.), Scottish Lovage (Ligusticum 

 scoticum, L.), Brookweed {Samolus Valerandi, L.), Sea-Blite 

 Suceda maritima, Dum.), Crow Garlic (Allium vineale, L., type 

 and var. compactum, Thuill.), Lesser Sea-rush (Juncus maritimiis, 

 Lam.), Black Bog-rush (Schcenus nigricans, L.), Sea Club-rush 

 (Scirpus maritimus, L.), (fee. Between Hunterston and Fencebay 

 the most notable plants to be seen are the celery-leaved Crowfoot 

 (Ranunculus sceleratus, L.), Sea Holly (Eryngiuin maritimum,, 

 L.), and Ray's Knotgrass (Polygonum Raii., Bab.). 



Through want of time and gradual failure of light, it was 

 found impossible to examine the shore from Fencebay to Fairlie, 

 which is known to be rich in maritime plants. But the walk 

 along the road was by no means lacking in interest. On the one 

 side, away across the water, rose the distant mountains, around 

 whose pui-ple summits dark shadows gradually gathered as the 

 golden light of evening faded into deep red; while on the other 

 side lay Southannan, with its memories of the Sempills, great 

 lords and statesmen in their time, whose domains have long 

 since passed into alien hands. 



After tea at Fairlie the party returned by train from the 

 Pier Station. 



