1006 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
Vaucherii, Dickieia and similar gelatinous diatomacese very abun- 
dant in places ; the last may easily be mistaken for frog spawn. 
This list, with the foregoing description and photographs, will, I 
hope, convey a sufficiently clear idea of the nature of this series of 
lochs. There is such a similarity in their flora, that an enumer- 
ation and description of each is not only unnecessary, but its 
production would afford merely an unpalatable repetition. 
Loch Meiklie, situated in Glen Urquhart at an elevation of 
372 feet above sea, differs from lochs hitherto considered, and 
demands special mention. Its shores are beautifully wooded, 
mostly stony or sandy : but about the entrance of the river Enrick, at 
the west end, there is a considerable swamp. Some of the sheltered 
bays, notably at the north-east, have also swampy margins (fig. 65). 
Besides moorland, it drains a small area of cultivation ; its water is 
therefore less peaty than usual. There is, however, a considerable 
amount of matter in suspension in the water, so that the photic 
zone here extends to about the same as at Loch Ness. In some 
parts of the loch the water was quite green with volvox. At the 
west end of the loch, proceeding from the drier ground of the 
swamp towards the water, we find associations of plants in some- 
what this order: — J uncus effusus, J. articulatus, Carex rostrata, 
Phragmites communis, Equisetum limosum in water 2 to 5 feet 
deep, Castalia speciosa in water 4 to 8 feet deep, Nymphsea 
pumila in water 8 to 10 feet deep ; beyond the latter, at the bottom, 
Potamogeton pusillus, var. tenuissimus, P. lucens, Utricularia 
vulgaris, Nitella translucens. All these associations are of course 
mixed with other plants ; but those mentioned are dominant over 
a certain area. The Castalia speciosa association is extremely well 
developed here, and presents a magnificent spectacle. Pig. 66 will 
afford some idea of the extent of this colony. Littorella lacustris 
is extremely abundant here, occurring in water 8 to 10 feet deep ; 
also upon the shores, where it flowers prolifically (fig. 67). There 
is another very large bed of Equisetum limosum at the north-west 
corner of the loch ; a portion of this had been cut for agricul- 
tural purposes. In places where it had not been cut, several 
cows were feeding upon it, two of these animals had advanced 
so far after this food that their backs were quite under water. 
Besides those already mentioned, the following plants occur here : — 
