228 
ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND. 
its lower part, where, however, there is little alluvial deposit. The bounding 
ranges of hills are composed of uniform, rounded, smooth-sloped masses, having 
an elevation apparently of from 80.0 to 2,000 feet. These hills are generally 
green, the Heath upon them being regularly burnt, so that a plentiful crop of 
Grasses, Carices, and Junci^ with numerous pasture plants, and patches of Fern, 
succeed the coarser vegetation which has been destroyed. Scarcely any rocks, 
properly so called, are to be seen in its whole course, although in several places 
there are great accumulations of debris along the slopes, and between some of the 
hills there are deep cuts or water-courses, the sides of which are almost entirely 
destitute of vegetation. The rock is everywhere greywacke, which is generally 
small-grained, more crystalline than aggregated, seldom fragmentary, always in 
thin strata, which are vertical or highly inclined, and sometimes slaty. The soil 
consists of rounded and angular fragments of grey-wacke, mixed with a light 
yellow tenacious clay. It being firm, and the sides of the valley presenting no 
level space, water does not accumulate on the ground. Very little natural wood 
is to be seen, even by the margins of the limpid stream, and wher-e it occurs it 
consists merely of some scattered bushes of Hawthorn, Hasel, Mountain Ash, 
Alder, and Willow. Thore is no Broom, and scarcely any Furze—plants which 
in other districts form so conspicuous a portion of vegetation. Towards its 
upper part, or head, this valley, like the otliers, becomes narrower, with higher 
mountains and steeper slopes, the terminal rills flowing through deep and very 
inclined grooves, and in some places there are crags of considerable height. 
Leaving Manner Water at the uppermost farm-steading, and proceeding 
directly southward, we pass over an elevated moss forming the broad ridge which 
separates that valley from Megget-dale, and opens upon St. Mary’s Loch. In the 
ascent we observe several plants, such as Saxifraga stellaris^ S. hgpnoides, 
JEpilobium alpinum^ Cochlearia officinalis^ and Lycopodium selagoy which give 
promise of a richer harvest to be reaped on the huge mountain-mass that now 
presents itself at the distance of a few miles on the southern horizon. On the 
high grounds, here and elsewhere, we observe extensive and often deep deposits 
of peat, of which none occur on the gravelly slopes bounding the vallies. Beyond 
Megget-dale, a deep, narrow glen, bounded by lofty mountains presenting the 
usual aspect and structure, we pass over an elevated and undulated moor, until 
we arrive at Birkhill, situated at the upper extremity of Moffat Water. 
Ascending to the summit of the ridge or narrow platform which extends along 
the north-western side of that valley, and passing over a moor deeply covered 
with peat, in the lowest stratum of which are abundant remains of the roots of 
trees, principally Birch, we come upon Loch Skene, a small body of water, about 
three quarters of a mile in length, beyond which is a precipitous corry similar 
to those of so frequent occurrence in the granitic portion of the Grampian range. 
This corry presents the most favourable place for alpine plants, and after examining 
