20 TRANSACTIONS. 
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 
Kirkeudbrightshire, while on the other hand it is sadly deficient 
in alpine and sub-alpine species. Mr Druce says that Galum 
boreale is the only mountain and almost the only northern plant 
he found, and even this was washed down from the hills by the 
River 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 Zepédiam Smithii and Gnanthe 
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 sguarossus is rare. Lobenaria chloran- 
tha is present, to the exclusion of A. difolia.” Owing to the 
lateness of the season I had not an opportunity of verifying Mr 
Druce’s last statement about 7. di/olia; but it is very strange if 
it is true. Also many plants rare in Kirkeudbrightshire are more 
common in Wigtownshire, and vce 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 plaxts 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 Lguzsetum 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 J/ercurialis perennts, 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 botanising. The sandy shores of Monreith Bay are 
gay with a profusion of Ononisarvensis, Evodium cicutarium, 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 
ar 
