220 TRANSACTION.-^, NATURAL HISTORY SOCIKTY OK GLASGOW. 



Owing to its well-known popularity as a health resort, 

 Rothesay, the county town, is visited annually by thousands of 

 persons who come in search of health and holiday enjoyment, 

 many of whom are interested in natural history pursuits. For 

 some reason not easily explained, there does not appear to be at 

 present any reliable list of either the fauna or Hora of the island. 

 To meet in part this feit want, I have prepared the following list 

 of plants, and although it is by no means exhaustive, it may help 

 as a preliminary contribution towards a more complete catalogue 

 in the near future. 



Owing to the mild and equable climate of Bute, its variety of 

 soils, and its numerous lochs and marshes, a large number of 

 plants are to be found on the island, many of which are com- 

 paratively rare so far as the West of Scotland is concerned. The 

 mildness of its climate has contributed in no small degree to 

 a number of garden escapes and other alien plants, many of 

 which have their home much further south, establishing them- 

 selves in various spots, and becoming quite naturalised. Among 

 these may be mentioned Claytonia sibirica, Linn. ; Ribes 

 Grossularia, Linn. ; Peucedanum Ostruthium, Koch ; Anthemis 

 nobilis, Linn. ; Linaria Cymbalaria, Mill. ; Linaria repens, JMill. ; 

 and Mimulus luteus, Linn. Others, again, such as Papaver 

 Argemone, Linn. ; Meconopsis cavibrica,Yig. ; Chelidonium majus, 

 Linn. ; Iberis am :ra, Linn. ; Fceniculum vulgare, Mill. ; Scabiosa 

 arvensis, Linn. ; Hieracium aarantiaciim, Linn. : Viuca niajor, 

 Linn. ; Polemoniuin cceruleuiit, Linn. ; and Plautago media, Linn., 

 can only be considered as casuals, and have either been intro- 

 duced with farm-seeds or have recently escaped from cultivation. 

 Although all these are found occasionally in the island, they 

 have apparently failed to find a congenial home in the soil of 

 Bute, and cannot be said to have established themselves in any 

 part of it. 



[ have been careful to enter no plant in this list unless I either 

 have a specimen of it, or know where it is to be found in the 

 island. For this reason, a number of fairly common plants do 

 not appear in the list ; but it is better that they should mean- 

 wnile be omitted than that any doubt should be raised regarding 

 them. 



No attempt has been made in the meantime to deal \\ itli tlie 



