﻿INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  natural 
  division 
  of 
  Scotland 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  following 
  

   observations 
  refer 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  Dee," 
  and 
  comprises 
  the 
  

   greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Aberdeen 
  and 
  Kincardine. 
  

   It 
  is 
  bounded 
  by 
  "Moray" 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  west, 
  and 
  on 
  

   the 
  south 
  by 
  "Tay." 
  These 
  areas 
  meet 
  on 
  Carn 
  an 
  Fhidhleir 
  

   (Cairn 
  Ealar) 
  (3276), 
  where 
  three 
  counties 
  — 
  Aberdeen, 
  Inver- 
  

   ness, 
  and 
  Perth 
  — 
  join, 
  about 
  85 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  North 
  Sea. 
  

  

  The 
  coast 
  line 
  of 
  "Dee," 
  i.e., 
  from 
  Fowls 
  - 
  heugh, 
  in 
  

   Kincardineshire, 
  to 
  Troup 
  Head, 
  in 
  Banffshire, 
  is 
  about 
  80 
  

   miles 
  in 
  length. 
  The 
  whole 
  district 
  comprises 
  an 
  area 
  

   of 
  about 
  23,000 
  square 
  miles, 
  and 
  is 
  truly 
  the 
  

  

  " 
  Land 
  of 
  brown 
  heath 
  and 
  shaggy 
  wood, 
  

   Land 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  and 
  the 
  flood." 
  

  

  The 
  coast 
  line 
  of 
  our 
  area 
  is 
  a 
  most 
  interesting 
  one, 
  

   both 
  from 
  a 
  zoological 
  and 
  geological 
  point 
  of 
  view. 
  

  

  Let 
  us 
  suppose 
  ourselves 
  at 
  the 
  southern 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  

   coast, 
  that 
  is, 
  at 
  Fowls-heugh, 
  some 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  miles 
  

   south 
  of 
  Stonehaven. 
  Here 
  we 
  find 
  high 
  beetling 
  cliffs 
  

   composed 
  of 
  Sandstone 
  Conglomerate, 
  pierced 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  

   by 
  dykes 
  and 
  beds 
  of 
  Greenstone. 
  The 
  sea 
  washes 
  with 
  

   deep 
  rolling 
  waves 
  against 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  rocks, 
  and 
  has 
  

   excavated 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  long 
  dark 
  caverns, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  

   can 
  only 
  be 
  approached 
  by 
  boat 
  ; 
  others 
  can 
  be 
  reached 
  on 
  

   foot 
  when 
  the 
  tide 
  is 
  low, 
  and 
  one 
  can 
  enter 
  many 
  sub- 
  

   terranean 
  galleries, 
  torch 
  in 
  hand, 
  and 
  explore 
  their 
  dark 
  

   recesses, 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  Rock-dove 
  darts 
  in 
  hurried 
  flight 
  

   at 
  the 
  intrusion. 
  We 
  also 
  meet 
  with 
  numerous 
  colonies 
  of 
  

   Martins, 
  which 
  fly 
  out 
  regardless 
  of 
  our 
  presence, 
  and 
  

  

  whose 
  nests 
  can 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  chinks 
  of 
  the 
  rock. 
  On 
  

  

  B 
  

  

  