CRAE LANE AND ITS VEGETATION. 125 
land, the most famous being the Cooran Lane of the Raiders, 
a waterway entering the Dee near Loch Dee. 
In times of flood the Dee, which normally keeps 
straightly on its way across the mouth of the valley, sends a 
strong current round Holland Isle joining Crae Lane slant- 
wise, and, both by its somewhat contrary tendency up the 
valley, and also by stemming back the not inconsiderable 
volume coming down, causes high floods, when the valley is 
in great part submerged. 
We may divide the lane into three botanical regions— 
the still watercourse, the alluvial water-meadows, and the 
tree-covered slopes with coarser soil and whinstone rock. 
Common reeds and purple loosestrife characterise the water- 
course, bent grass the meadows, and coppices of birch, alder, 
oak, spruce, and pine the slopes. 
At the head of the valley is Duchrae Farm, the birth- 
place of S. R. Crockett. Around this spot he loved to weave 
his fancies; its floral riches are constantly referred to, justi- 
fying a more detailed account. On Duchrae Bank the 
Levellers, revolutionists against land-enclosure, are said to 
have made their last armed resistance to authority; while, 
crossing from Crae to Lochenbreck, Robert Burns was in- 
spired to composed ‘‘ Scots Wha Ha’e.”’ 
The plants, a list of which is now given, have been 
brought to school by the children and others, in their vary- 
ing seasons. Further observation of this mile will add 
greatly to the list, which is meanwhile very incomplete, but 
sufficient to indicate wealth of flowering plants. 
Firstly, growing in the watercourse may be found 
ranunculus flammula, r. aquatilis, nuphar luteum, nymphaea 
alba; potentilla comarum; lythrum salicaria; cnanthe 
crocata; iris pseudacorus; potamogeton natans; lemna 
minor; lobelia dortmanna; menyanthes trifoliata; arundo 
phragmites. 
Secondly, in the water-meadows may be found ranun- 
culus acris, r. ficaria, thalictrum minus, caltha palustris, 
trollius europaeus ; cardamine amara, c, pratensis, c. hirsuta; 
viola palustris, v. canina, v. tricolor; polygala vulgaris ; 
~lychnis flos cuculi; potentilla tormentilla; parnassia palustris ; 
