230 Field Meetings. 



feet by 50, raised very little above the winter level of the water, 

 apparently consisting', so far as its structure is exposed, of a 

 great heap of stones, with a thin covering of earth, A little 

 spade work sufficed to pierce the overlying deposit and lay bare 

 the stones at a depth of eighteen inches at one point, near the 

 margin, and about three feet at another. There is a tradition, 

 embodied in various gazetteers, that there was " a castle " on the 

 island, of which the remains are distinctly traceable. Certainly 

 there are evidences of dry stone walls, but of any building with 

 mortar there is none. These walls would seem to point to occu' 

 pation of the place at a comparatively recent date, but to prepare 

 any reliable plan of them would involve considerable labour. It 

 is obvious also that the questions whether there has been an 

 earlier lake dwelling, and whether that was entirely formed of 

 stone or raised on a structure of wood piles and beams, can only 

 be determined by excavation. It was resolved to apply to the 

 proprietor for permission to undertake further investigation, and 

 if this should be granted to employ a couple of workmen for a 

 week in order to ascertain whether it would be worth while pro- 

 ceeding with any more elaborate scheme. Mr John Corrie of 

 Burnbank, Moniaive, who joined the party at the loch, undertook 

 to superiptend the operations. 



Mr and Mrs Hepburn, who occupy Loch Urr farm house as a 

 sliooting lodge, extended their hospitality to the visitors, and 

 placed a boat at their disposal. Before leaving Mr Barbour, 

 architect, tendered to them the cordial thanks of the society for 

 their kindness. 



Mr Corrie submitted the following list of rarer plants to be 

 found at Loch Urr : — Lobelia dortmanna (water lobelia), utricu- 

 lar ia minor (lesser bladder wort), utticularia intermedia (inter- 

 mediate bladderwort), Scutellaria g^alericulata (scull cap), lythrum 

 salicaria (purple loosestrife), carex pauciflora (few-flowered sedge), 

 carex filiformis (slender-leaved sedge), polygonum amphibium 

 (amphibious polygonum), polygonum minus (creeping p.), salix 

 pentatidra (bay-leaved willow). — Dumfries Standard. 



