42 RECORDS OF EXCURSIONS IN AYRSHIRE. 



5 inches; an ash, ioo yards east of house, 12 feet at 2 feet 

 5 inches ; and near it a beech, 13 feet 9 inches at 3 feet 6 inches. 

 On the west side of the Bombo a female yew was 9 feet 7 inches 

 at 6 inches, and 8 feet 9J inches at 4 feet ; and a copper beech 8 

 feet at 4 feet. The fine large great maple beyond the south-west 

 corner of the house has since been blown down. It measured 

 11 feet 6 inches at 3 feet 5 inches, and had 167 rings of growth. 

 There were also inspected some well-grown conifers, including 

 Wellingtonia gigatitea, Pinus strobus, Abies lasiocarpa and Cedrus 

 Deodara. During the excursion — which included a walk along 

 part of the Garnock Water, where some large clumps of Senecio 

 saractnicus were seen — nearly forty-six plants were noted in flower. 

 The aliens Alchemilla alpina (var. conjuncta), Thalidrum minus, 

 and Echium vulgare, were also observed. 



On 5th October, 1895, in conjunction with the Natural History 

 Society of Glasgow, a Fungus Foray, under the leadership of 

 Professor Thos. King, was made to Blair Policies. Fungi did 

 not appear to be at all common, still, after a diligent search, 

 fifty-eight species were gathered, the most noteworthy being 

 Agaricus mutabilis, A. cfypeatus, Polyporus giganteus, Leptoglossum 

 viride, Helvetia crispa, Leotia lubrica, and Peziza micropus. 



The gardens and museum were visited and some interesting 

 specimens of fossil trees examined, amongst which is a very fine 

 one, shewing the manner in which Sigillaria formed its roots, four 

 main roots going off from the trunk, each of these roots bifurcating 

 — a method of rooting not known to occur in any other plant, 

 either fossil or recent. 



The excursion of 9th of September, 1893, was to Dairy, the 

 destination being Hindog Glen. Twenty-five members attended, 

 and as the district is a good one in many ways, especially in the 

 display of fine geological sections and abundance of fossils, the 

 ramble on this occasion was much enjoyed. 



The route lay through the town of Dairy, which is built on a 

 large hillock situated in the Garnock Valley, and Hindog Glen 

 was entered a little above Cunningham B/aidland Farmhouse, *~) 

 opposite a high cliff of alternate beds of hard and soft volcanic 

 materials. This cliff is formed by a unique feature in the 

 physiography of the district. At every other part of the Rye 



