Meport of Meetings. By James Hardy. 275 



Oft' thrilled his heart at close of even, 



To see the dappled vales of heaven, 



With many a mountain, moor and tree, 



Asleep upon the Saint Mary." 

 The members felt indignant at tlie profanation Mr Currie's work 

 was undergoing from the thoughtless public and covetous 

 visitors. They have commenced cutting their names, and 

 scribbling their ribaldry on the pedestal, and have even knocked 

 off and appropriated one of the horns of one of the ornamental 

 ram's heads (of the Leicester breed by the bye), that terminate 

 each upper corner. Several subsequently subscribed to the fund 

 for erecting an iron-railing to preserve the statue from further 

 spoliation. 



There is an impression of mystery about the defile between 

 the steep hills occupied by the Lake of Lowes, and the seemingly 

 endless winding by which it hides itself among the darker 

 elevations behind, but we find it impracticable to proceed any 

 farther, and reluctantly return to the hotel. Time flew all too 

 fast ; there was possibility here for botanising, but little could 

 be effected. We had to content ourselves with what came 

 readiest to hand, and if the collection is small, it has this to 

 recommend it, that it was native to the spot. I am indebted to 

 the Eev. James Farquharson for a notice of what his gatherings 

 were, and I afterwards examined what his companion, Mr Bird, 

 had laid his hands on. " Along with another member, Mr Bird, 

 Edinburgh," writes our ex-President, " I followed the course of 

 the burn, which descends behind the hotel, up the steep ascent 

 to the swampy table-land where the stream has its origin. In 

 the little gulley it has formed on the hill-side, I picked up 

 Lysimachia nemorum, Helianthemum vulgare, Crepis paludosa, 

 Eieracium murorum, Carex fuUcaris, Molinia carulea, Polypodium 

 Dryopteris, Aspidium Oreoptens ; while in the flat swampy ground 

 above, where there was a profusion of Sphagnum and other 

 moisture-loving mosses, the following were found, —i)roser« 

 rotundifolia, Sedum villosum, Rubus ChanKsmorus, Narthecium 

 ossifragum, Apargia autumnalis, and Empetrum nigrum. Broad 

 patches of Eleocharis ccBspitosa had begun to assume their autumn 

 tawny hue." To these I have only to add Parnassia palustris and 

 Pedicularis sylvatica. Listera cordata was also gathered. A party 

 had a row in a boat, and fished up Potamogeton perfoliatum, a 

 rarity, from the lake. 



The following were present at this meeting ; Sir George 8. 



