812 



MR FRANCIS J. LEWIS 



E. Very compressed fibrous peat formed of Eriophorum vaginatum and Calluna 

 vulgaris. 



F. Betula glutinosa, Fries. — Trunks, roots, seeds, and catkin scales. 

 Covylus avellana. — Nuts very abundant. 



Alnus glutinosa. 

 The upper layers contain : — 



Potamogeton nutans. 

 Potentilla Comarum (2 seeds). 



The lower layers contain : - 



Rubus Idieus. 

 Salvia Verbenaca. 

 Ranunculus sp. 



Carex hirta. 



Menyan/hes trifoliata (1 seed). 



Carex paniculata. 



C. teretiuscula (2 nutlets). 



Potentilla tormentilla. 



G. Granitic sand, small pieces of dicotyledonous wood and rhizomes of Equisetum. 



H. Closely packed granitic boulders with sand. 



This section is of very great interest inasmuch as it so fully bears out the succession 

 of vegetation in the south of Scotland (8) and in Shetland. Here the evidence is 

 perfectly clear, for the Lower Forest, with trees and temperate plants, does not contain 

 any typical alpine-arctic plants, whilst a thin bed with remains of Salix reticulata and 

 Empetrum nigrum lies above it. 



The peat is of greater thickness than the Merrick-Kells mosses in the south of 

 Scotland, but approximates in thickness to the older series of Shetland peat. In some 

 other sections in the same bog the Lower Forest rests upon coarse granitic sand con- 

 taining numerous Equisetum rhizomes. This is underlaid with fine sand and stiff grey 

 clay and occasional large granite boulders to a depth of 2 feet. Below this the material 

 becomes very closely packed and stony, being very difficult to excavate, and appears to 

 pass into typical boulder clay. The stratification of the overlying peat remains the same. 



Sections were taken in another bos; farther east, near East Lanowell. This boo- is 

 about a mile in length by a quarter of a mile in breadth. It is covered at present with 

 Calluna vulgaris, Eriophorum vaginatum, Erica Tetralix, and Sphagnum sps. The 

 stratification is as follows : — 



A. Upper Forest .... 



B. Eriophorum and Calluna peat 



C. Phragmites peat .... 



D. Betula nana .... 



E. Calluna and Scirpus peat 



F. Lower Forest .... 



A. At the spot where the section was taken the surface had been removed for fuel, 

 so that the stools of the Upper Forest were exposed. In other places near by, 4 feet 

 of peat occurred above the stools. Numerous trunks as well as stools of Pinus 

 sylvestris are present, the lie of the trunks in most cases being E. and W., others 

 W. 5 X., whilst one was observed to He W. 65° N. 



3 feet. 



3 „ 



1 foot. 



4 inches. 



8 „ 



4-5 feet 



