ja^^ 1901.] botanical socletit of edinburgh 17 



On the Comparative State of the Flora of the 

 West Highlands during the Eighteenth Century and 

 AT the Present Time. By Symers M. Macvicar. 



(Read 10th January 1901.) 



It is only of late years that zoologists have seen the 

 importance and interest attached to the historical treatment 

 of the fauna of this country, and, so far, only with the 

 larger forms. Their position in this case is a more simple 

 one than that of the botanist, such species of the fauna 

 being comparatively few ; and a large part, being easily 

 recognised without much study, have had consequently 

 observers for many years. With plants it is otherwise, 

 but botanists have this advantage, that with their knowledge 

 of plants in their relation to surrounding conditions, they 

 can in many cases determine the probable state of the flora 

 for some previous years, provided they know the former 

 conditions of the surroundings, and have some knowledge 

 of the present Hora in its various situations. In a country 

 such as Britain, where there has been established for 

 centuries the same race of men, with only a slow altera- 

 tion in the methods of cultivation, one cannot expect a 

 rapid change of features in the flora, as has been seen in 

 New Zealand and parts of Australia by the introduction 

 of alien plants and otherwise. The rare instance of the 

 introduction of Anacharis into rivers and canals in Britain 

 is limited to districts outside the West Highlands, and the 

 striking features in industrial districts, due to impure air 

 which has altered the distribution of some flowering plants 

 and of lichens, has not affected the district under considera- 

 tion. If a botanist of the eighteenth century were to visit 

 the West Highlands at the present time, he would doubtless 

 find the most striking diff'erence in the alteration of the 

 position and extent of woods, of agriculture with its accom- 

 panying weeds, and in the aspect of the moorland parts of 

 the hills. On a closer examination, the comparative rarity 

 or extinction of certain species, with the introduction or 

 increase of others, would be noted. I have attempted here 

 to show in some degree how these changes have been 

 brought about and are continuing now ; the latter in some 



TRAifS. EOT. SOC. EDDi. VOL. XXH. B 



