1909-10.] 
Flora of Scottish Lakes. 
151 
Morton Lochs, situated on Tents Muir, and of recent construction, are of 
considerable interest because of the rapid development of an extensive 
aquatic flora that has occurred there. 
Mr James Morton Christie, the owner of the lochs, formed them in 1906 
for fishing purposes by enclosing a natural depression of the land by means 
of a wide embankment of sand, and by diverting a burn to the site as a 
feeder. This moor (muir) is an extension of the sand dunes now nearly 3 
miles to the east, and is mostly a sandy heath, some of the more favourable 
spots, however, being under cultivation. In the way indicated, two lochs 
were formed, having a general depth of from 4 to 8 feet. One of them 
is about \ mile long and \ mile broad, whilst the other is about half that 
size ; they are connected by a narrow passage through the embankment, 
which alone separates them. Although there was a thin covering of peat 
over the sand, still the water is not peaty, because the feeder originates in 
and passes through a cultivated and non-peaty district. 
For the first two years no aquatic Phanerogams were noticeable in the 
lochs, but there was a great abundance of Algae, chiefly Rhizoclonium hiero- 
glyphicum, Spirogyrse, and Cladophorse, which, becoming detached from the 
sides of the loch, where they chiefly originated, floated about in the water 
and bade fair to ruin the fishing. These Algae are now kept down by 
spraying the sides of the loch with a solution of copper sulphate in the 
spring. 
During the third summer a considerable growth of submersed Phanero- 
gams appeared, but not in sufficient quantity to interfere with the fishing. 
By the fourth summer, however ( i.e . in 1909), the plants had increased to 
such an extent that they would seriously impede the operations of the 
sportsman were they not subjected to frequent raids by the proprietor of 
the lochs. 
At present there is no development of marsh vegetation at the margin 
of either loch, such plants being, in fact, practically absent, which is not 
surprising, in view of the applications of copper sulphate previously men- 
tioned. In both lochs the dead Calluna lying at the bottom is covered with 
Cladophora, etc. In the smallest loch, which is the southernmost one, 
Myriophyllum spicatum occurs in extraordinary abundance ; somewhat less 
plentiful are Potamogeton obtusifolius, P. pusillus, and P. crispus ; and these 
four species may be said to fill the loch to the exclusion of other plants. 
In the largest loch Myriophyllum spicatum is not very abundant, but the 
three species of Potamogeton just mentioned are very plentiful, whilst P. 
polygonifolius, P. perfoliatus, and Myriophyllum alterniflorum occur, but are 
all scarce. Nitella opaca, Chara vulgaris and its var. papillata, C. contraria 
