NOTES AND QUERIES, 125 
was not room in the lowlands for the beech and associates whose 
migration from the south may have been stopped by natural 
barriers. These points, however, important though they may be 
in practical forestry, will not, in any way, affect the general value 
of a map of the natural primitive or potential vegetation.” 
The article is worth the consideration of those who wish to 
pursue this subject further. A. W..B. 
HIsTorRY OF THE ScoTTisH PEatT Mosszs. 
The same magazine contains an extremely well-considered and 
written paper by Mr Francis J. Lewis, F.L.S., on “The History 
of the Scottish Peat Mosses, and their Relation to the Glacial 
Period.” Very little attention has hitherto in this country been 
paid to this important subject, although there lies buried in these 
peat-bogs a vast store of material which, if only brought to light 
and studied in the proper way, as Mr Lewis has done, will yield 
a vast store of information of first-rate importance. 
In the present paper the author gives a general account of an 
investigation in which he has been engaged, on the peat deposits 
in the Scottish southern uplands. Among the numerous new 
facts ascertained, there are many which are of special interest 
to foresters, since the history and vicissitudes of the forests 
which have from time to time occupied the ground are very 
clearly shown from the records in the peat. To begin with, 
the author mentions that the peat deposits reach their 
greatest development in high-lying situations, and that at 
the present day, on account of insufficient moisture favour- 
able to peat growth, the hill-top, hillside, and upland valley 
peat is generally in a state of rapid denudation, and, indeed, has 
already been completely removed from large areas by incessant 
rain-washing. In such deposits, which are channelled and 
furrowed often to a depth of 12 or 15 feet, certain well-defined 
layers containing tree roots and stems are seen, which indicate 
the existence of a former forest. To quote the author’s own 
words—‘“ Sometimes one, more frequently two, and occasionally 
three such forest layers can be recognised, separated by thick 
beds of peat, quite free from any traces of trees. These forest- 
remains are frequently present in the peat in districts where no 
