PREFACE. V. 



brances at* the close of such a work is J;hat of the many happy days 

 spent in congenial companionship with fellow-students in botany. Mr 

 M'Andrew, Mr Johnstone, the Misses Hannay, and Mr Bell are best de- 

 scribed as part authors of the work; but I have had the greatest delight in 

 finding that the older Botanists of Dumfriesshire were far more thorough 

 and correct than is perhaps agreeable to some of those amongst us now. 

 It is a pleasure to rescue their names from oblivion, and to put their notes 

 in a form accessible to all. The Rev. E. F. and W. R. Linton have helped 

 me very greatly with the critical Hawkweeds, and other forms. Mr 

 Brunetti kindly named all the Diptera (I had asked Mr Verrall, who 

 was, however, unable to spare the time), and Mr R. Service the Hymen- 

 optera and Coleoptera. The plants collected by most of those 

 named below are now in the Herbarium of the Natural History and 

 Antiquarian Society of Dumfries, and open to inspection. I have also 

 to thank Mr A. Bennett for much kind assistance. 



The introductions by Mr Robert Seivice on the Hymenoptera, 

 and the Geology by Messrs Peach and Home, speak for themselves. 

 I am very conscious myself of the value which they give to the follow- 

 ing pages ; and my thanks are also due to Mr Andson for the data, 

 gathered by many years' careful observation, which we have brought 

 together as an account of the Meteorology. The map has been 

 specially obtained at great trouble, and it is to be hoped that it will be 

 found satisfactory. 



With this Herbarium and this Flora, I think there is scarcely any 

 county in Britain so easily studied as mine, and it is with the most perfect 

 confidence that I look to future Dumfriesians to carry out and prove 

 some of the problems suggested herein. 



G. F. SCOTT-ELLIOT. 

 November 25th, 1895. 



