24 RECORDS OF EXCURSIONS IN AYRSHIRE. 



The fust place visited was the old Castle of Fairlie, which is 

 now a breeding place of the jackdaw and swift, the latter being 

 locally known by the name of the " cran." On the walls the 

 black spleenwort {Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum) was growing. 



In Fairlie Glen the little stream has laid bare a large section of 

 the calciferous rocks, with beds of trap, some of the latter being 

 of a fine pink colour. Towards the foot of the glen the strata 

 dip at a high angle towards the hills. As the bed of the stream 

 is ascended the dip very gradually becomes flatter, and the sand- 

 stone rocks, after changing from red to yellow, go under the 

 thick series of traps which form the great bulk of the hills. Here 

 and there amongst the sandstones are beds of conglomerate. In 

 the glen a variety of the prickly shield-fern {Polystichum aculeatum 

 var. lobatuni) and the wood cranesbill {Geranium sylvaticuin) were 

 noted ; but the angular-leaved shield-fern {P. angulare), formerly 

 abundant here, was not observed — another victim to the mere 

 prowling fern gatherer. 



In the Kelburne Policies some large silver firs were visited, and 

 near the little bridge over the Kel Burn were noted the angular- 

 leaved shield-fern {Polystichum angulare) and the great pendulous 

 carex {Carex pendu/a), a species which sometimes attains the 

 height of 7 or 8 feet. Near the castle are some fine yews, and 

 the remarkable pine, Pinus insignis, together with Cryptomeria 

 japonica. The following measurements were made : — Yew, near 

 house, 9 feet 8 inches at i foot 6 inches from ground ; yew 

 (female), inside garden, southern one of a pair, io feet 9 inches ; 

 yew (male), northern one of this pair, 10 feet 6 inches (female 

 cones were also found on this male tree) ; silver fir, south-west 

 of pond, 10 feet 9 inches ; silver fir, further up glen, 13 feet 

 5 J inches ; silver fir, the one on right hand while facing the 

 monument, 12 feet 5 inches; Pinus insignis, near the yews, 7 

 feet 10 inches ; Cupressus filifera, near above, 6 feet 8i inches 

 — all, except the first, taken at the narrowest part of the boles 

 accessible. On the way to the Killingcraig gate the hairy St. John's 

 wort {Hypericum hirsutuni) and Luzula pilosa were observed at 

 the edge of the wood. 



The cromlech, locally, but of course erroneously, known as 

 Haco's Tomb, was passed on the right. It is worth a visit, being 

 in a perfect state of preservation, having been protected for ages 



