PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION. 



THE FIRST Edition of the following work was prepared by 

 request of the Local Committee of the British Association at 

 Glasgow, in order to serve as a guide to the Geologists attend- 

 ing the meeting in 1855. A sketch of the geological structure 

 of Clydesdale was the main feature of that edition. In the 

 SECOND Edition the portion treating of Clydesdale was much 

 extended, while that relating to Arran and the other Islands 

 was entirely new, and founded on observations of the Author 

 made during the intervening summers. It appeared to him, 

 however, that as Arran is a highly interesting field in other 

 departments as well as in Geology, the wishes of many 

 students would be met by combining an account of the 

 Botany and Marine Zoology with that of the Geology. At 

 his request the Rev. Dr. Miles, to whom a special grant had 

 been entrusted by the British Association for dredgings in 

 the Clyde, drew up an account of the more remarkable 

 objects of the Marine Fauna; to which was added a complete 

 list of the species then known, as well for the guidance of 

 students as a basis for future enquiry. An account of the 

 Flora of Arran was drawn up by the Author's eldest son, 

 Mr. James Bryce, now of Lincoln's Inn, and Regius Pro- 

 fessor of Civil Law at Oxford. In preparing the list 

 appended to it, advantage was taken of Professor Balfour's 

 kind permission to make use of his catalogue of Arran 

 plants. For this edition, which was published in 1859, 

 notices of the rarer Lepidopterous insects of Arran were most 

 kindly supplied by the distinguished entomologist, Mr. 

 Henry T. Stainton. 



The THIRD Edition, published in 1865, was made much 



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