20 TllANSACTIONS. 



only the very commonest mosses and other cryptogams, and even 

 its bogs have only a tiresome repetition of the commoner species. 

 However, I would say without contradiction that Wigtownshire, 

 from the character of its shores, has more seaboard plants than 

 Kirkcudbrightshire, while on the other hand it is sadly deficient 

 ill alpine and sub-alpine species. Mr Druce says that Galium 

 borealc is the only mountain and almost the only northern plant 

 he found, and even this was washed down from the hills by the 

 Eiver Cree. In the rich and cultivated districts the weeds of 

 cultivation are many and varied. Mr Druce remarks of Wigtown- 

 shire : " There is little in the flora to suggest its northern situa- 

 tion. One could easily imagine one was walking through the 

 Midlands did not the prevalence of Lepidium Smithii and CEnanthe 

 crocata suggests a more western flora. In mountain flowers it is 

 almost destitute. The drier mosses are singularly sparing in the 

 carices, and even /uncus squarossus is rare. Hobenaria chloran- 

 tha is present, to the exclusion of H. bifolia.'' Owing to the 

 lateness of the season I had not an opportunity of verifying Mr 

 Druce's last statement about H. bifolia ; but it is very strange if 

 it is true. Also many plants rare in Kirkcudbrightshire are more 

 common in Wigtownshire, and vice versa. 



I shall not inflict on you a list of the Wigtownshire plants, 

 but I trust it may be useful and interesting if I were to make a 

 few comparisons as to the abundance, the rarity, or absence of 

 certain plants in the two Galloways, and in doing so I shall follow 

 no definite order. The luxuriant fern vegetation of Dunskey 

 Glen, near Portpatrick, interspersed with large patches of magnifi- 

 cent specimens of Equiseium maximum, reminded me of tropical 

 vegetation or of the forests of the coal period. At Dinvin, again, 

 the ground under the trees is one carpet of matted ivy, while at 

 Monreith grounds the most striking feature is the profuse growth 

 of Lychnis dioica, making the woods a perfect blaze of red, and 

 excluding almost entirely Mercurialis perenuis, so common in the 

 woods of the Stewartry. Every visitor to Castle-Kennedy admires 

 its pinetum, or collection of conifers, one of the best in the king- 

 dom, while its lochs, terraces, and grounds would amply repay a 

 good day's botanisiiig. The sandy shores of Monreith Bay are 

 gay with a profusion of Ononisarvensis, Erodium cicu/arium, Con- 

 volvulus soldanella, Eryngium maritimum, and Galium. At Lag 

 Point, south of Monreith Bay, there is an almost complete cover 

 of Salsola Kali, resembling a field of young whins. In some 



