2G4 TRANSACTIONS, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 



inferior in girth to the Newton Don tree in Roxburgh, with its 

 altogether exceptional measurement of 13 feet 1 inch. But this 

 is at the narrowest part of a very short stem, only 2^- feet in 

 length, and, as far as I have been able to ascertain, the Ayr- 

 shire tree, 11 feet 4 inches in girth at the base and 9 feet 

 8 inches at 5 feet of a longer stem, is well entitled to the 

 second place among Scottish Birches, particularly as Mr. Paxton's 

 photograph shows it to be a singularly handsome, well-clothed 

 tree, lofty and wide-spreading. . . . Nor is this the only 

 fine Birch in the county, as Mr. Paxton has photographed a 

 weeping one at Rosemount, Ayr, with a stem 10 feet long before 

 it gives off a branch, and 8 feet 1 inch in girth half-way up, 

 also a very handsome tree." 



The Rev. D. Landsborough, LL.D., with whom I first 

 visited Auchendrane, in 1896, contributed to the Kilmarnock 

 Standard of 15th December, 1894, a notice of this book 

 of photographs, in which he says, under the heading of 

 " The Most Beautiful of Large Trees in Ayrshire :" — " The 

 Auchendrane Large Birch. — ' The Lady of the Wood,' for so the 

 Birch is named, has the right to pre-eminence in beauty, and 

 no Birch in Scotland — not even that of Rosemount — is so perfect 

 as the Birch of Auchendrane. It is only about seventy years of 

 age, yet is 9 feet 8 inches in girth 5 feet from the ground." 

 Under the heading of " The Most Remarkable Trees of Ayrshire," 

 he says — " This beautiful tree . . . may be expected to 

 retain for a considerable time its supremacy, as its situation is 

 excellent." 



the larger species is somewhat lessened by the following examples, which 

 exceed in size those mentioned in that paper : — 



Sycamore (Acer Pseudo-platanus) — 

 Glendoune, July, 1898—18 ft. 8 in. at 3 ft. 6 in.; bole, 5^ ft. 

 Auchencruive, Sept., 1905—17 ft. 5 in. at 3 ft. 3 in.; bole, 4 ft. 



Oak (Quercus Rohur) — 

 Bargany, April, 1900—15 ft. 2 in. at 3 ft.; bole, 7 ft.; lOlf ft. spread. 

 Doonside, Oct., 1899—14 ft. 9| in. at 3 feet; bole, 5\ ft.; 93 ft. spread. 



Willow [Salix alba) — 

 Coodham, July, 1904—17 ft. 1 in. at 4 ft. 5 in. ; bole, 8 ft. 



Willow (Salix fragilis) — 

 Kilmarnock, July, 1904—16 ft. 1 in. at 5 feet; bole, 22 ft. 



