230 
ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND. 
morus^ and many besides which.it is unnecessary to mention. Near the summit 
of White Coom, in a mossy rill, I observed Cerastium alpinum^ and in 1832 
found a single specimen of Phleum alpinum. I am informed that a few other 
species have been met with, but in general the alpine vegetation is so scanty as 
completely to disappoint the student who has been accustomed to search the 
Grampians. 
At the base of this mountain, or rather at the base of the ridge that forms the 
western side of the very narrow valley of Moffat Water, are two peculiarly 
interesting ravines. That in which is the celebrated waterfall of the Grey 
Mare's Tail” breaks in upon the ridge to the length of five hundred yards or so, 
and presents a semi-circular temination about 300 feet in height. The rock 
being split into strata, nowhere shews continuous surfaces of any extent, but is 
broken into small shelves, and for the most part covered with vegetation. The 
strata, which run S. E. and N. W., are inclined to the west at an angle of about 
50°. The Peregrine Falcon nestles in this recess, as the Eagle did of old on the 
island of Loch Skene i but the latter species has been extirpated, and the fonner 
is rare in the district. 
It is somewhat remarkable that in these lower ravines, and in the cuts here 
termed cleughs,” are to be found the same alpine plants as in the broken ground 
on the higher part of the mountains. Almost all those mentioned above, occur 
in the ravine of the Grey Mare's Tail, intermixed with other species, of which a 
few of the more interesting may be mentioned:— Air a flexuosa^A. ccEspitom, Fes- 
t-uca duriuscida^ Triodia decumbens^ Meliea ccerulea^ Angelica sglvestris^ Hera- 
cleum sphondgllium^ Solidago virgaurea^ Hieracium sylraticum^ H. paludosuTUy 
Leontodon taraxacum^ Scrophularia nodosa^ Geranium sglvaticumy Rubus idmuSy 
R. saxatiliSyCircma lutetianay Vida sglvaticay Scabiosa succisay Blechnum boreahy 
Aspidium Jilix-maSy A, filix-fmminay A. o?'eopteris, Polypodium vulgarCy P. 
dryopterisy Pteris aquilinay Asplenium mridcy Hymenophyllum Wilsoniy Crypto^ 
gramma crispay Cystopteris fragilis. The trees which occur in the ravines, but 
are nowhere else to be seen in the district, are generally of very small size, and 
belong to the following species:— Betula alba, Alnus glutinosay Mespilus oxya- 
cantkay Pynis aucupariay Fraxinus excelsioTy Corylus avellana, Que7xus robur. 
The other ravine above alluded to is nearer Birkhill, and presents on its south¬ 
ern side a perpendicular rock, vertically fissured by seams of stratification, so as 
to bear a strong resemblance to a group of basaltic columns, while its northern 
side exhibits a fine display of curved and undulated strata, the layers being of 
small depth, and consisting of grey-wacke and shale. 
From White Coom to Tweedscross the mountains extend from N. E. to S. W., 
forming an undulated ridge, which, viewed from the plain above Moffat, presents 
the appearance of a huge barrier, resembling the southern edge of the Grampians, 
