Tkansactions. 197 



plants ought now to be erased frona the Flora of Dumfriesshire. 

 However, after finding Saxifraga nivalis in the Moffat district it is 

 to be hoped that i\Ir Johnstone's diligence may yet be rewarded 

 by a re-confirmation of several of the above plants. 



Mr Charles Scott, late of Terregles Gardens, and now at 

 Netherby Gardens, Longtown, has sent me lists of mosses and 

 Hepaticaj gathered at Penton Linns, on the borders of Dumfries- 

 shire ; as also a list of some flowering plants, but with the 

 exception of Neottia nidus-avis, and Epipactis latifolia, they are 

 all common. 



The only plants I have to record as new from Kirkcudbright- 

 shire are (1) Hieracium sparsifolium, gathered by Mr Coles at 

 Halfmark, Carsphairn, in July, 1884 ; and (2) Hieracium holoseri- 

 ceum, gathered by myself several years ago on Milldown, Kells 

 Range. Mr Coles also records this year a new station for Osmunda 

 regalis near Gatehouse. 



II. Notes on the Diamond Mines and Gold Fields of South Africa. 

 By Mr George F. Scott Elliot, M.A. 



The Central Mine at Kimberley is one of the most astonishing 

 monuments of human industry in the world. It is an enormous 

 excavation, large enough to contain the whole of Trafalgar Square 

 and deeper than the Nelson Column. Moreover, this gigantic pit 

 is not by any means the whole of the mine. The workings are 

 now carried on wholly underground and extend to a depth of 800 

 feet. They consist of narrow tunnels, up and down which 

 Kaffirs, in very simple clothing, are perpetually shoving trucks. 



The diamondiferous blue earth is first exposed to the rain and 

 sun for some months. This exposure disintegrates it, and being 

 subsequently washed, the diamonds are easily picked out. 



The De Beer's ]\Iine is almost as large as the Central. It 

 lies to the south-east of the Central, and is an irregular ellipse 

 some 1020 feet loni; by 480 feet broad. 



Du Toit's Pan Mine lies to the south-west of De Beer's and 

 is also elliptical in shape, with a strong projection inwards at one 

 point. Its long axis lies E.N.E. and W.S.W., and it is about 2000 

 feet long and 1000 feet across. 



Bultfontein is much smaller and circular in shape and lies a 

 little to the south-west of Du Toit's Pan. Diamonds are also 

 found in smaU quantities at other points near Kimberley, viz. : 

 Olto's & Taylor's Kopje, Yager's foutein, &c. Diamonds are also 



