2 2 RENFREWSHIRE EXCURSIONS. 



to the Society, but it proved exceedingly interesting to the 

 botanists who were present. 



The Parish of Eastwood, lying directly west of the parish 

 of Cathcart, has been on three occasions the scene of excursions 

 of the Society. The first of these visits took place early in the 

 Society's history, Walkmill Glen being the centre of interest. The 

 botany of this locality will be found particularly referred to in the 

 paper in this volume from the pen of Mr. J. Wood, and is again 

 touched on in the account of the excursion to Upper Pollok. On 

 this occasion the picturesque Craig of Carnock was ascended, and 

 here at this late date (26th September) a curious plant of Primula 

 vulgaris was found in flower, with " four sepals, four petals, and 

 four stamens, these last united in two pairs." 



The Rouken Glen at Thornliebank was the second locality 

 visited in this parish. Near the bottom of the glen, on the right 

 bank of the stream, the starlings build in some numbers in a 

 retaining wall. The dipper is abundant on the stream, and its 

 nest, composed outwardly of moss and having inside a bottom 

 lining of oak leaves, was taken near the waterfall at the head of 

 the glen. The oak, beech, and hart's-tongue ferns were gathered, 

 and a profusion of the alternate-leaved golden saxifrage {Chryso- 

 splenium alternifoliuvi) is one of the features of the glen, this form 

 being generally less common in the district than the opposite-leaved 

 one. A small collection of ornamental coniferse received some 

 attention. Above the picturesque cascade at the top of the glen is a 

 rush-grown dam with a sloping meadow beyond. When the botan- 

 ical section visited this spot in the spring of 1891, a picture of 

 placid beauty was their reward. On the meadow-land were some 

 young cattle grazing, while over the dam many swallows and sand- 

 martins were hawking. Resting on the turf-capped wall here, 

 one could have watched indefinitely the gyrations of the beautiful 

 hirundines. The water-hen and coot were also noted here, and 

 a nest of the former with eggs seen. 



Auldhouse, near Pollokshaws, and Nether Pollok were visited 

 in September, 1888. At the first-mentioned place exists a large 

 rookery, the nests chiefly placed on a double row of limes; but the 

 feature of commanding interest is in the garden, where are 

 to be seen two remarkably fine old Spanish chestnuts (Castanea 



