52 RARER FLOWERS OF EAST RENFREWSHIRE. 



chance outshine the Laird of Logan's pigs. The wood spiraea of 

 Levemholme is not in good condition. It seldom flowers here; 

 but there is a fine bed of it on the banks of a small stream which 

 enters Lochwinnoch on the west side. 



The Pad. — Levern Burn is the offspring of a number of 

 streams which come from the hills above Neilston. Take the 

 most conspicuous of these heights, the Pad, named from the 

 very old Saxon word "Paid," a hill. In the fields at its feet 

 there is plenty of the little brownish-coloured frog-orchis 

 (Habenaria viridis). It is not readily noticed, both size and 

 colour favouring the plant in this respect. It grows plentifully 

 also in fields on the Calder above Lochwinnoch. On the north 

 forehead of the Pad grows the cow-wheat {Melampyrum pratense), 

 and this, I believe, is its only station in East Renfrewshire. This 

 is one of the most obstinate plants in the whole British flora 

 to dry satisfactorily. Nothing will do so and preserve the colour 

 except the hot iron. 



On the opposite side of the Pad we find abundance of the white 

 climbing corydalis ( Corydalis claviculatd). Very delicate and fragile 

 it looks, and very prettily it overspreads the roots — kissing the feet 

 of the sturdy Scotch pine trees that give it shelter beneath their 

 rugged, kindly, outspread arms. Beauty clinging to the feet of 

 strength — an improvement on the poets and novelists — a return to 

 the primitive law of nature. Here also, on this very spot, there 

 used to be a fine large bed of the parsley-fern (Cryptogranwie 

 crispci). But, alas! for the " used-to-be ! " Dealers from the city 

 found it out, and they have not left so much as one little plant on 

 the hill-side. 



Com more Dam to Loch Libo. — From the top of the Pad we 

 can see Hairlaw Dam with its sea-gull island. The stream which 

 issues therefrom we can follow with the eye till it enters Commore 

 Dam ("the dam of the big hollow"). The Neilston side of this dam 

 has a considerable number of bald-money plants (Mcum Atha?nan- 

 ticum), with their feathery dark-green leaves and, to me, most 

 disagreeable smell. A burnie wimples down the brae-side and 

 empties itself into the dam at the opposite corner. This tiny 

 stream is so well hidden by the nature of the ground that you step 

 into it almost before you see it. Ascend and you will find it one 



