Shippatk Dean. By Dr Charles Stuart. 191 



and scramble. Immediately above where we were sitting, a 

 dyke of brown Porphyry intersects the Greywacke, allowing 

 space only for the burn to pass. A Mountain Ash strikes its 

 roots firmly through the crevices of this dyke, on its southern 

 aspect, and the extraordinary manner in which it has fastened 

 itself is worthy of examination. Small plants of Black Spleen- 

 wort grow on this rock, with many other plants. We now 

 clamber up the south bank and gain the moorland tableland, 

 taking a S.E. direction for the next ravine, which is only par- 

 tially wooded. The distance across can hardly be a mile, and 

 when the brink of the ravine is reached, if judged too steep for 

 descent, by walking higher iip a better place for entering may 

 be found. In going down we got into a soft boggy place among 

 some willows, where we picked splendid specimens of Marchantia 

 pofymorpha, covered with its comparatively large umbrella shaped 

 fruit. This was one of the most remarkable plants we had met 

 with. A patch of it taken carefully up, brought home, and 

 placed under a bell glass in a pan of water, would have 

 astonished the uninitiated. Under the willows on a moist face, 

 it covered a considerable space. In company grew stately 

 specimens of Car ex laevigata. The ravine here is very steep, and 

 the bottom covered with loose stones. Torrents from the melt- 

 ing snows in winter come down here, from the surrounding hills. 

 Although much rain had fallen during the past week in the 

 Merse, there seemed to have been none here. The bed of the 

 ravine was quite dry, except where occasional springs were met 

 with. Two old Black-Cocks were put up feeding on the fruit of 

 the Fragraria vesca, which among the schist assumes a most 

 strikingly minute form of growth, and nourishes in profusion. 

 Some of these tiny plants not larger than the point of your 

 thumb, contain a solitary berry only. On the rock-work here 

 they keep to their small form, and are exceedingly neat in their 

 habit. A few Grouse were observed in crossing to this ravine ; 

 but the Meadow Pipit, Thrush, Chaffinch, Stone Chat, Wheat- 

 ear, and Wagtail, were the principal small birds met with. 

 There was a disappointing want of variety as regards bird life. 

 The physical features are undoubtedly what will arrest the 

 attention. The wonderful Old Red Conglomerate banks capped 

 with boulder clay, rising in some places to the height of a hun- 

 dred feet, are very striking. A most remarkable dike of brown 

 Porphyry intersects the lower part of the ravine in a slanting 



