CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS A FLORA OF CAITHNESS 109 



the time she was on the island, about five weeks in June and 

 July 1899. 



She accompanied the Rev. W. Dundas and his wife. 

 Mr. Dundas was a native of Stroma, and the first minister of 

 its little church. He called Miss Geldart's attention to the 

 fact that the vegetation in Stroma is nearly three weeks later 

 than on the mainland coast opposite, though that coast slopes 

 to the north (snow often lying there in winter when it does 

 not at Stroma), and there is considerably more sunshine and 

 less rain at Stroma than on the mainland. This seemed to 

 agree with Miss Geldart's observation of Tliymus Serpyllum 

 well in flower at Duncansby (just east of John o' Groat's) on 

 July 6, whereas the first single flower did not open at 

 Stroma till July 21. The few plants of Mertensia on 

 Stroma did not seem so forward on July 1 5 as those at 

 John o' Groat's on the 6th. Miss Geldart says : " I only 

 visited the mainland twice, so had no opportunity of con- 

 tinuing the comparison, but kept a record, where possible, of 

 the opening of ft\s first flower in Stroma." The dates after 

 notices of species are from this record. 



She very kindly gave me a set of the specimens gathered. 

 These are marked with ! after the name. The other species 

 noted are given on her authority, and may be accepted as 

 trustworthy. She is the daughter of an able botanist. 



At the end of this paper will be found a few additions, etc., 

 to the Caithness flora that have come to hand since the last 

 paper. 1 There are also a few " Notes " by Miss Geldart on 

 the mainland species as observed by her. 



I have left the names nearly as Miss Geldart has them 

 in her MS. 



The only species that has not been reported for Caithness 

 seems to be Spergularia marginata, Syme. This is recorded 

 for the Orkneys. 



C. stands for common ; V.C. for very common. 



RANUNCULUS HEDERACEUS, L. Where a little stream is dammed 

 up ; and " I think also in a stream on the west side near cliff." 



R. FLAMMULA, Z., and var. PSEUDO-REPTANS, Syme. \ The variety is 

 common, but not so the type. 



1 No. I. " Scottish Naturalist," 1888, pp. 305-357 ; 1889, p. 77. 

 No. 2. "Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.," 1892, p. 247. 



