THE PHYSICAL FEATURES AND CLIMATE 
OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 
The avifauna of a county greatly depends on its physical 
features and attendant climate. The absence or presence 
of plantations, the increase or decrease of cultivated land, 
the extent of the lakes and rivers, and the character of the 
coast, no less than the rainfall and temperature, all 
influence the species of birds which are residents in or 
migratory visitants to the area under consideration. 
Dumfriesshire is bounded on the north by Lanarkshire, 
Peeblesshire and Selkirkshire ; on the north-east by 
Roxburghshire ; on the south-east by Cumberland ; on 
the south by the Solway Firth ; on the south-west and 
west by Kirkcudbrightshire ; and on the north-west by 
Ayrshire. 
Its length from east to west varies from 21 to 46 J miles ; 
its breadth from north to south is between 13 and 32 miles ; 
and its area 1,106 square miles. It comprises forty- three 
parishes, namely : — 
Annan. Eskdalemuir. 
Applegarth and Sibbaldbie. Ewes. 
Caerlaverock. 
Canonbie. 
Closeburn. 
Cummertrees. 
Dalton. 
Dornock. 
Dryfesdale. 
Dumfries. 
Dunscore. 
Durisdeer. 
Glencairn. 
Gretna. 
Half-Morton. 
Hoddom. 
Holywood. 
Hutton and Corrie. 
Johnstone. 
Keir. 
