FLORA OF SCOTTISH LAKES 
245 
no visible affluent or effluent. The loch is situated in a hollow, and 
the meadow-land, which surrounds it on three sides, runs down almost 
to the water's edge, a narrow strip of stony shore intervening. This 
shore is chiefly occupied by Juncus effusus, with which a few other 
plants are mingled. At the south-west side there is a plantation 
between the loch and the adjacent road. The maximum depth is 
14 feet, and the bottom is almost entirely covered with vegetation. 
Lobelia Dortmanna and Isoetes lacustris are both very abundant, 
which is surprising when the surroundings are taken into considera- 
tion ; their presence probably indicates a poor supply of food-salts in 
the water. 
Soulseat Loch is close to the above, but is not connected with it. 
It has an irregular outline, is about half a mile long and over a 
quarter of a mile broad. The surrounding features are similar to 
those of Loch Magillie, as also is the margin. The west shore has 
a zone of Heleocharis palustris, as at the White Loch, behind which, in 
some places, there is a narrow strip of marsh, with the usual variety 
of plants. At other parts a narrow border of stones intervenes 
between the water and the meadow ; this shore, as at Loch Magillie, 
is occupied by Juncus effusus. The stones from the margin to a 
depth of 2 or 3 feet are often thickly overgrown with Cladophora 
canaliculata, etc. A marked feature of this loch is the vast quantity of 
plankton organisms, which render the water quite turbid, in addition 
to which there are such enormous numbers of Gloeotrichia Pisum 
that in some parts the water resembles pale green paint. No doubt 
the turbidity of the water of this loch accounts, in some measure, 
for the poor bottom flora. The Rev. Mr Paton, whose manse is 
pleasantly situated on a peninsula jutting into the loch, informed me 
that in the winter the turbidity disappears, and then it is possible to 
see the bottom at a depth of 6 feet. Obviously the clearness of the 
water in winter has no efi^ect upon the extension of a bottom flora 
of phanerogams. No plants occur at a greater depth than 6 feet ; 
in deeper water there is a deposit of vegetable detritus lying upon 
mud. Ranunculus circinatus and Callitriche autumnalis are the only 
dominant submerged phanerogams, and both are extremely abundant. 
Potamogeton perfoliatus abounds in a few spots ; Littorella lacustris 
and Nitella opaca occur, but not plentifully. No other submerged 
plants were found. Bryophytes are practically absent, excepting a 
few of the common marsh species. 
There are three small lochs lying close to the railway about a 
mile west of Castle Kennedy station. The easternmost one is dry, 
and the site covered with Juncus efl^'usus and other marsh plants. The 
others are entirely overgrown with aquatic vegetation, and are so sur- 
rounded with extensive marsh that the water cannot be approached. 
