1914-15.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 369 



arenaria, and Erica cinerea and Erica Tetralix] then to 

 the planted defining pine woods, and the fertile fields 

 beyond with characteristic east-coast weeds of pasture and 

 cultivated land. A more easterly line from Buckie Loch 

 passes over shifting dunes, gravel, and fixed-sand plains, 

 scattered growth of Am/mophila an naria, Carex arenaria, 

 and a few other plants : through East Loch, with flora in 

 more " open " formation and with mosses much more 

 dominant than in Buckie. West and South Lochs ; then to 

 the birch wood, partly planted, to grey dune with numer- 

 ous species holding local dominance, to the flats with some- 

 what similarly constituted flora and merging into salt- 

 marsh. A line, taking a more northerly course, reaches 

 the planted Binsness pine wood just where the sand, 

 falling in elevation from the high dunes, is partially bound 

 and being bound with Cattuna vulgaris and other plants, 

 and is partially suflering denudation. 



C. Maviston Sandhills. 



1. Fired Dunes. 



On the western area of the Culbin region, in its wider 

 sense, the accumulations of sand for a considerable distance 

 inland from the seashore are low and pretty well clothed 

 with Am/mophila arenaria, and other plants characteristic 

 of even more stable conditions. On the more level portions 

 Erica cinerea is dominant, increasing to the westward, 

 where, beyond the sands, a wide, marshy, heathy flat 

 extends towards Nairn. 



Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea, Linn., is dominant on a stretch 

 of fairly level fixed sand not far from the shore. Not only 

 does it almost exclusively cover the sand with extensive 

 patches, but from it come the innumerable seeds and 

 coloured stains scattered all over the surface, which 

 represent fruits that have been eaten by birds. 



2. Sh ifting Dunes. 



On the south-west and landward side of this region rise 

 the Maviston Sandhills proper. These dunes have been 

 for many years, and are still, moving steadily forward and 

 inland. The more level sand on the windward side is beino- 



