156 
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
The north shore resembles that on the south, but vegetation is some- 
what less abundant. In some places associations of Equisetum limosum 
extend into the water beyond the marginal zone of Heleocharis palustris. 
At the south-east end, an arm to the reservoir has been formed by con- 
structing a dam across an adjacent valley and excavating a connection. 
The flora of this arm or bay is similar to that of the main body of water. 
There is an extensive marsh on its west side, with vegetation similar to 
that existing at the west end of the main reservoir, excepting that Spiraea 
Ulmaria is conspicuous by its greater abundance and luxuriance, and that 
the var. fiuviatile of Equisetum limosum is more abundant than the type. 
Bryophytes are poorly represented by a few of the common marsh mosses. 
The Heleocharis palustris growing at this reservoir was much diseased by 
Claviceps nigricans, Till. ( Sclerotium Eleocharidis, Thum.), some of the 
inflorescences bearing 3 or 4 ergots J inch long. This fungus is one seldom 
met with in this country. 
Oarriston Reservoir is a sub-circular sheet of water, \ mile across, 
situated 2 miles north-east of Markinch in a rich agricultural district. It 
was formed by the construction of a long dam across a valley through which 
flowed a tributary of the River Leven. The water is clear, and not peaty. 
The dam occupies most of the west side, and there is not much shore on the 
south, as a bank, which is faced with stonework, frequently enters the water. 
On the north and east there is a flat, sandy or muddy shore, and the small 
amount of marsh vegetation about the loch occurs at this place. There is a 
mixed plantation and a few isolated trees on the north shore (fig. 93), other- 
wise there is no wood in the immediate vicinity of the water. Heleocharis 
acicularis forms a dense sward on parts of the sandy-muddy shore, covering 
it as grass does a meadow, and entering the water to a depth of 3 or 4 feet. 
I have not seen this plant so abundant anywhere else. On some parts of 
the exposed shore terrestrial forms of Myriophyllum spicatum were abundant. 
In one or two places Gnaphalium uliginosum and Juncus bufonius formed a 
dense sward. Heleocharis palustris is abundant near the winter water level, 
but the plants are dwarfed, being only 6 or 8 inches high, probably because 
they are left comparatively dry in summer, owing to the water receding 
from them. The tiny Ranunculus rep tans is very abundant here, even 
more so than at Loch Leven, where it also occurs, the sandy shore in some 
places being covered with it (fig. 94). Water-fowl migrating eastwards from 
Loch Leven, and avoiding the Lomond Hills, would be likely to drop down 
at Carriston, which is only 10 miles distant, and probably by their agency 
several plants common at Loch Leven have been introduced to this reservoir. 
Besides the above, the following plants also occur here : — Littorella 
