EXCURSIONS IN STIRLINGSHIRE. 1 25 



Abbey Craig, with the Wallace Monument, appeared at no great 

 distance, and peering over a ridge was the top of Stirling Castle. 

 Northward the river Carron skirted the base of the hills. Descend- 

 ing by the Reservoir, about which the cloudberry was blooming 

 abundantly, the party split, some making for Gavell, some for 

 Kilsyth and others for Kirkintilloch by way of Cass Glen. At the 

 foot of Corrieburn, a hawthorn was measured girthing 4 feet 

 10J inches at 3 feet 6 inches from the ground, on the north side. 

 The ornithologists noted thirty-six species of birds. Among these 

 were the tree-pipit {Anthus trivialis), heard above Milton ; the 

 common white-throat {Sylvia cinerea), heard in two places near 

 Kirkintilloch, making the first record for the season ; the corn- 

 bunting {Emberiza miliaria), a pair seen j the common sandpiper 

 (To/anus hypoleucus), and a pair of lesser black-backed gulls (Larus 

 fusais). At the Dam were some dunlins {Tringa alpina), and a 

 golden plover's (Charadrius pluvialis) nest with four eggs was seen. 

 At the excursion in 1898 the attempt to reach the summit had to 

 be abandoned on account of a dense mist which prevailed. 



Corrieburn was visited on the 9th June, 1894. The party 

 detrained at Milton and passed through the village eastwards 

 towards Antermony Loch. The hop (Humulus Lupulus), a plant 

 not very frequent in Clydesdale, was observed trailing over the 

 hedges surrounding one of the village gardens. When Antermony 

 Loch was reached a beautiful sight presented itself to the party. 

 The banks of a little burn issuing from the loch were thickly clad 

 with the heart-leaved valerian ( Valeriana pyrenaica) in full bloom. 

 This plant is comparatively rare in Clydesdale, but at this spot it 

 was growing in profusion, and more luxuriantly than in any other 

 station noted by the Society. Further on, at an old bridge on 

 the road-side, the hairy rock-cress (Arabis hirsuta) was found. 

 On reaching Corrieburn the bed of the stream was followed as 

 far as the entrance to an old mine. Here the party spent some 

 time searching for iron-stone nodules, in the hope of finding some 

 containing fossils. Botanically the burn was very barren, a few 

 common hawkweeds and milkwort (Polygala vulgaris), with its red, 

 blue and white flowers, being all that were observed. The home- 

 ward journey was made by way of Gavell. 



On the 29th June, 1889, a small party joined with the Scottish 

 Natural History Club of Edinburgh in an excursion to the 



