LEPIDOPTERA OF ASSYNT DISTRICT OF SUTHERLANDSHIRE. 31 



of isolation has existed for several hundreds of years at least, 

 but not for more, at any rate to such an extent as at present. 



The Highlands of Scotland are to-day very largely treeless ; 

 they were not always so. At the dawn of history we read of 

 the Great Caledonian Forest, composed principally of Scotch fir 

 (Pinus sylvestris) and silver birch (Betula alba), covering vast 

 tracts of country now bare of trees. Isolated bits of this forest 

 still remain, for instance, along the southern shore of Loch 

 Rannoch, and in Glen Orchy. Apparently the principal cause 

 of this depletion of timber was fire. 



In almost any part of the Highlands, even up to 2000 ft. 

 above the sea-level, if one looks at a section of the peat where it 

 has been worn through by the action of water, one sees roots 

 and trunks of trees, mostly those of Scotch fir, and almost 

 invariably they bear the marks of fire. How these fires originated 

 I am not certain ; no doubt some were caused by drought and 

 subsequent accidental firing ; others were probably the result of 

 clan feuds. 



After passing this bleak stretch of moor and mountain one 

 comes to a district singularly beautiful, even grand, and 

 extremely interesting to the Nature-lover. The mountains 

 around Loch Assynt, one of the most beautiful sheets of water 

 in Britain, are very remarkable, and although none of them 

 quite reach 3000 ft. in height, Suilven, Canisp, and Quinag 

 amongst others, are three of quite the most isolated and 

 picturesque heights we possess ; the view especially of Suilven 

 from the neighbourhood of Altnacealgah on the way to Assynt 

 being very remarkable, the mountain standing up above its 

 surroundings like a huge tooth, and from this point appearing 

 to be quite inaccessible. 



The whole district is studded with hundreds of small lochs, 

 and in the hollows and on the sheltered sides of the mountains 

 there is a fairly luxuriant growth of trees. 



Assynt is unfortunately not a cheap district to visit at the 

 present time ; the cost of a first-class ticket comes to rather more 

 than in 1912 I paid by the same class to travel beyond the 

 North Cape in Arctic Norway ! and even a third-class ticket costs 

 a good rouud sum. The hotels, which are in most places the 

 only possible places of accommodation, are the reverse of inexpen- 

 sive ; moreover, as they are usually full of fishermen, who are 

 almost solely catered for, they are, perhaps, not in certain 

 respects ideal places of sojourn for an entomologist. 



In search of information as to where I should put up, I read 

 in a local fauna book a statement that the north and eastern 

 sides of Loch Assynt were of limestone formation and possessed 

 a very beautiful flora, and as there was at the extreme north- 

 eastern end of the loch, at a small hamlet named Inchnadamph, a 

 famous fishing hotel, which had the reputation of being extremely 



