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Proceedings of the Koyal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
lochs in Kirkcudbrightshire north-west of this line, including those on the 
border of Ayrshire, in the neighbourhood of Loch Doon, are mostly of the 
nature of highland lochs. This district is characterised by mountain and 
moor ; indeed, some of the highest mountains in Scotland, south of Perth- 
shire, are found here. The lonely grandeur of its wild scenery, notwith- 
standing the paucity of purple heather, gives it rank amongst the foremost 
of Scotland’s charms. Owing; to the lack of good roads, the absence of 
footpaths, and the exceedingly rough and often impassable nature of the 
ground, the tourist seldom penetrates to the remote fastnesses where lies the 
wildest of the fascinating scenery. The mountains, for the greater part 
rounded and reduced by intense glaciation, are, where the rock is not alto- 
gether bare of soil, covered with grass-like associations of plants which 
afford pasturage to enormous numbers of sheep. The predominance of 
grass-like associations over the mountains and moors, instead of heather, 
has a great and important influence upon the flora of the lochs. Not only 
that, but the pastoral life induced thereby stamps the inhabitants with 
characteristics different from those of the people living in localities that are 
chiefly devoted to sport, and engenders a higher type of ethics and a superior 
social organisation amongst the rural folk. 
In the district of New Galloway, and in fact throughout the country for 
miles around, there are a few .abundant plants that form a characteristic 
feature of this neighbourhood. They are as follows : — J asione montana and 
Lepidium heterophyllum in dry places ; Carum verticillatum and (Enanthe 
crocata in damp and wet places. 
In continuity with a former contribution (ante, p. 971), I here call this 
district Area IV. (pp. 100-127, figs. 1-45). 
2. South-east of the line from Gatehouse to Thornhill, the lochs of 
Kirkcudbrightshire are chiefly of a lowland type, and the district is almost 
wholly agricultural. The land is frequently very rich, and the farmers are 
prosperous and noted for their wealth. There are comparatively few lochs, 
and the undulating and often well-wooded country is frequently beautiful. 
This district I term Area V. (pp. 127-136, figs. 46-58). 
3. Wigtownshire is remarkable for its great tracts of treeless, monotonous 
and dreary peat moor. In comparison with the adjoining district of north- 
west Kirkcudbrightshire, almost the whole county appears flat and tame. 
The relaxing and enervating atmosphere of south-east Kirkcudbrightshire 
is here in many places intensified. Agriculture is the dominant industry, 
particularly dairy-farming, and beyond the intractable moss-hags the land 
is frequently very rich. Those sheets of water that are situated on the 
open moors resemble highland lochs in their general features. Those lakes 
