476 
Verfarbire vated regions has #0 far aided the growth of the tribe of 
—y—" nlants termed Musei, that extensive strata of 
Botany. 
moss 
have been formed even on the summit of the highest hills. 
This substance is likewise ‘common in the inferior dis- 
triets, in those places where lakes have formerly existed. 
As an article of fucl, in a country where there is no coal, 
it is of first-rate importance. Marl, principally of the 
kind termed shell marl, is very common in Angus. It 
is found in beds under peat moss in old lakes, and is ex- 
tensively employed as a manure. When daid on grass 
ground, it promotes the growth of clover, rye grass, and 
other nourishing plants; but when employed as a ma- 
nure for. raising grain, it is found to thicken the husk, 
of oats in particular, in a remarkable degree. The shells 
in the marl, are those which are still to be found in plen- 
aa 
are light, gravelly, and of a red colour. 
no county in Britain, where plants 
have been investigated with such laborious industry, and 
success, as the county of Forfar. It was the 
birth-place, and latterly the permanent residence, of the 
late Mr George Don, whose knowledge of the localities 
and habits of the plants of Scotland, and of Forfarshire 
in particular, was never equalled, and who added more 
new species to the British Flora than any of his botani- 
cal predecessors or survivors. From his list of the na- 
tive plants of Forfarshire, published along with the 
agricultural survey, where a scientific botanist will find 
a storehouse of facts, we extract the following obser- 
vations. On the mountains of Clova, the botanist will 
find a rich harvest of the rarest kinds of alpine plants ; 
the Sazifraga ifida, Ranunculus alpestris, Eriopho- 
rum gracile, nd ongpe.seant Hieracium divaricatum, and 
Potentilla Among the cryptogamous plants, he 
will find the Grimmia Donniana, (named after Mr Don, 
crista-castrensis, Riccia fruticulosa, and Jungermannia 
sealaris. On the sea shore, he will meet with the Ely« 
selum vari 5 
The zoology of Forfarshire presents fewer varieties 
than its botany. Mr Don has given along with his list of 
plants, a list of the animals of Forfarshire, which is re- 
was vague and inaccurate. Among the quadrupeds, we 
may mention jd, 9 to prove, that it extends far- 
i than Mr Pennant was aware of, 
for he restricted its northern limits to the river Tay. 
Among the birds, we may number the dottrel, (Cha- 
radrius morinellus,) which visits the f of the 
Grampians about the beginning of April, and continues 
about three weeks, before going to the fy ttre ge 
breed. It returns about the beginning of pimp ome 
after resting again for three weeks, it retires to the south, 
Sieeecde ee ee > 
Among the mollusea, we may notice the Unio mar« 
garitifera, or pearl-bearing mussel, as being found in the 
alpine rivers ; and in the rocks on the shore, the Mya 
suborbicularis, The sands of Barrie furnish the Echinus 
pusillus ; and the sea tathe adhering to the lobster cages, 
FORFARSHIRE. Bi: 
= 
7 
will yield the student-of ature the Sertularia li | Forfarshires 
trum and dumosa. Mie in 
2. Civil History.—In ancient times, this county was uni- History 
ted with the Mearns, and'seems to havereceived the name 
of Herestia from Tacitus, in consequence of the moun- 
tainous aspect of its northern boundaries, It was, , . 
disjoined from the Mearns by Kenneth II. about! 
year 838, and bestowed upon his brother A2neas ; and 
from this circumstance, it was termed Angus. . But as 
Forfar is the town, it is now more 
known by the name of Forfarshire. It is at present 
vided into fifty-six parishes, distributed into five ] 
teries, which meet at Forfar, Dundee, Brechin, 
and Aberbrothick. These five i 
with the presbytery of Fordun, constitute the: 
Tos cucmeepapath here held by chaf- 
je greatest part estates are : 
ter from the crown, and are termed freehold. In so Past 
cases, the property holds of some ietor or 
tion, and in this case the granter of - 
Pak wisi of the lands the vassal or 
3 
: 
i 
H 
Mr Headrick could obtain, it appears that in 1808, the 
gross rent of lands, woods, quarries, &c. in ‘the 
county, and including farms in the occupancy of 
proprietors at a reasonable valuation, amounted to » 
£208,924 15 3 
Estimated value of house rents . . 95,872 0 6 
5 wy Se , 
Total rent from fixed « + £304,796 15 9 
property 
The number of freeholders at present on the roll, Freehol- 
we olaneniie There are five royal borc — 
ORFAR, £, ABERBROTHICK, 4 
Brecuin. (Sce these articles.) Before the Union, 
sent one or more commissioners, ing to its 
dee have been united with Perth, Cupar in Fife, and St 
Andrew's, in choosing a tative ; while Aberbro- 
thick, Montrose, and f ; to Invers - 
where only four are j 
The population 
24,087 families, containing 45,461 
females, making a total number of 99,127 souls. “In the 
year 1811, the had ine 8451; and at 
that period amounted to 107,578. The cause of the ex« 
cess of females in the preceding enumeration, must be 
sought for in the numbers of young men who enter the 
