FLORA OF SCOTTISH LAKES 
255 
Near the loch this flat merges gradually into a bog several acres in 
extent. At the east end there is a similar but much less extensive 
bog. The loch is shallow throughout its area, a depth of 10 feet 
being seldom exceeded, and a considerable portion of the bottom is 
covered with Chara fragilis and its var. delicatula, besides a large 
number of other plants. The stones about the shores are everywhere 
thickly covered with Cladophora canalicularis and C. flavescens, both 
of which bear an extraordinary quantity of Diatomaceae, chiefly of the 
genera Diatoma, Gomphonema, and Cocconeis. A fine tow-net used 
in the middle of the loch at the end of September caught a very pure 
collection of Asterionella formosa. Many of the submersed plants 
were incrusted with lime, which proves the presence of that substance 
in the water. Here and there are pure groups of Iris Pseud-acorus, 
with leaves 4 or 5 feet high, standing out of the water as little 
islands. Nine species of Potamogeton and one variety flourish in this 
loch, most of them in abundance, and, besides a large number of common 
plants, the following which are of less frequent occurrence were 
observed : — Anacharis Alsinastrum, Sparganium longissimum, Carex 
aquatilis, Juncus glaucus, Veronica scutellata, and Hvpnum stra- 
mineum. Scirpus lacustris and Phragmites communis grow here, but, 
strange to say, both are quite dwarfed compared with their usual 
luxuriance in similar lowland lakes. 
Town Loch, which is only a few hundred yards long, is about two 
miles north of Dunfermline, and close to the mining village of Town- 
hill. At the time of my visit the water had fallen several feet owing 
to dry weather, and a large expanse of uninviting shore, composed of 
sandy gravel, mud, and coal dust, was exposed. At the full water- 
level there is a zone of vegetation composed chiefly of plants of the 
damp meadow type, with which are mixed some of those species usually 
associated with the shores of a loch. The water is extremely foul, as 
the loch is used as a receptacle for sewage. Three plants dominate 
the water, namely, Chara fragilis, Potamogeton flabellatus, and 
Polygonum amphibium. The Chara was the type form of fragilis, 
and in a very prolific condition. 
Loch Glow is situated in an open position on the Cleish Hills. 
These hills are for the most part covered with a grass-like formation 
of plants, below which there is peat. The loch is the largest of a 
series of four ; it is three-quarters of a mile long by half a mile broad, 
and is 900 feet above sea-level. The original loch has been deepened 
by the construction of a short dam at the east end, and it is now 
used as a reservoir. The water is clear, but slightly peaty. The 
north shore is rocky, stony, or more rarely sandy, and the south shore 
is mostly peaty. Bearing in mind its wind-exposed position, and the 
unsuitable nature of the shores, it is not surprising that semi-aquatic 
