THE FEESH-WATER LOCHS OF SCOTLAND. 
279 
feet. The loch was surveyed on May 23, 1903, but the level could 
not be determined; from spot-levels the elevation is apparently about 
606 feet above the sea. There are two deep basins Tn the loch, the 
northern one having a maximum depth of 59 feet, while the southern 
one includes the deepest water in the loch. It is curious to note near 
the middle of the southern basin a shoal sounding in 22 feet surrounded 
by much deeper water, and a short distance to the south an isolated deep 
sounding in 70 feet. 
The following temperatures taken in the deepest part of the loch show 
a range of less than 3° Fahr. from surface to bottom : — 
Surface 
25 feet 
60 „ 
60 ,, 
70 ,, 
85 „ 
490.3 Pahr. 
49°-3 „ 
48°-9 „ 
47°-9 „ 
47°-0 „ 
46°-9 „ 
Blach Lochs (see Plate CXXX.). — The Black Lochs may be looked 
upon as three expansions of the Lusragan burn (or rather four, since the 
upper loch is cut into two basins), stretching for a distance of about 2 miles 
in a north-east and south-west direction. The upper or northern extremity 
is about a mile to the south-east of Connel ferry. The basins decrease in 
depth on proceeding from north to south, the maximum depth of 36 feet 
having been observed close to the north end, while the maximum depth in 
the lower half of the upper loch is 32 feet, in the middle loch 27 feet, and 
in the southernmost basin 22 feet. The lowest part is blocked for a con- 
siderable distance by reeds, which are found also at various places along 
both shores up to the head. They were surveyed on May 25, 1903, the 
approximate elevation, judging from spot-levels, being about 80 feet above 
the sea. The temperature of the surface water was 58°*3 Fahr. 
Loclian nan Bath and Lochan na Beithe (see Plate CXXXI.) lie close 
to the northern shore of Loch Etive, opposite Connel ferry. They seem to 
have been formed by landslips. Lochan nan Rath covers an area of about 
14 acres, and is cut into two basins by a ridge across the narrow central 
part, on which there is only^ feet of water. To the south-west of the 
ridge a depth of 19 feet was recorded, while the maximum depth of 32 feet 
was found to the north-east of the ridge. The temperature of the surface 
water on May 26, 1903, was 62°*2 Fahr. 
Lochan na Beithe forms a comparatively simple deep basin, covering an 
area of about 19 acres. The deepest part lies towards the western shore, 
where four soundings exceeding 50 feet (maximum 58 feet) were taken. 
The volume of water is estimated at 23 million cubic feet, and the mean 
depth at 28 feet, or nearly one-half of the maximum. There is a slight 
constriction near the middle, accompanied by a slight shoaling of the 
water. The surface temperature on May 26, 1903, was 58°*4 Fahr. 
