PROCEEDINGS—PERTHSHIRE SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCE. 
XXIX 
6. August ii, to Rescobie Loch. This was the last excursion 
led by Mr. Robert Smith, to whose lamented death I have already 
referred. As he is no longer with us, Miss M. Thomas has kindly 
supplied the following report:— 
“ At the close of the day, it was generally agreed that this excursion 
would be memorable as the most enjoyable we had ever had, but we 
little thought then that we should always remember it as the last time 
we should ever see the leader of the excursion, our friend and teacher, 
Mr. Robert Smith. His death, after a few hours’ illness, a fortnight 
later, came as a great shock to all who had the privilege of knowing 
him, for to everyone he had greatly endeared himself by his upright 
character, his kindly disposition, and his great love of Nature. 
“To botanists, Rescobie is most interesting ground, and Mr. 
Smith knew it extremely well, and inspired us with his enthusiasm. 
The whole day he taught us, pointing out, as we passed along, the 
different plant-associations on the road-side, explaining the interesting 
geological formation of the land, and, at the loch, the manner in 
which the various zones of vegetation arise according to the depth 
and nature of the bottom. We saw how, close to the shore, came a 
zone of Eleocharis palustris, R. Br.; further out, in rather deeper 
water, a zone of P/wagmites communis , Trin.; still further out, a 
white Water Lily zone, and, in deeper water still, the zone of the 
yellow Water Lily. 
“But the most interesting plant was what we had all come to see, 
viz., the Water Soldier, Stratiotes Aloides , Lin., so called from its 
Aloe-like leaves. As it was in flower, it was floating on the top of 
the water, and had to be got out by means of a kind of lasso thrown 
from the shore. 
“Among the many interesting species that we brought home that 
day I may mention the following :— Cicuta virosa , Lin.; Utricularia 
vulgaris , Lin., Lysimachia thyrsifiora , Ait.; Alisma ra?iunculoides, 
Lin.; Zannichellia palustris , Lin.; Ranunculus Lingua, Lin.; and 
several species of Potamogeton. 
7. August 30, to Millhaugh and the Banks of the Almond. For 
this, the last excursion of the season, the Society was again favoured 
with exceptionally fine weather. The object was mainly geological, 
namely, to explore once more the plant remains found amongst the 
strata of the Old Red Sandstone, and there was a good muster of 
hammers. Several botanical members, however, were also present, 
and made good use of their time. The first point visited was a low 
cliff of shaley sandstone by the right bank of the river, about 
half-a-mile below the bridge, where, after some searching, the 
fossiliferous beds were found, and several good slabs were secured 
for the Museum. These fossil impressions represent the Algae, 
or Sea-weeds, which flourished in the Old Red Sandstone 
lagoons, and belong to the genus Psilophyto?i. Some of the 
specimens secured showed very distinctly the scale-like leaves or 
bracts with which the stems were covered, aud also the branching of 
the stems, and their spirally-coiled terminations. Returning to the 
Bridge, the geologists next proceeded down the river on the other 
