38 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



POLYGONUM AVICULARE, Z., var. VULGATUM, Syme. Tinker's Cove 



near Wick, J. Grant, sp. 



var. RURIVAGUM (Jord.}. Salt marsli, Wick River, J. Grant, sp. 

 var. LITTORALE (Link}. Dunnet Links, Dr. Shoolbred. Salt 

 marshes, Wick River, J. Grant, sp. 



P. HYDROPIPER, L. Marked by Mr. Nicolson with doubt as a 

 Caithness species. It occurs in the Outer Hebrides (Duncan, 

 sp.} ; but is not on record from Sutherland, and is doubtfully 

 so for Orkney and Shetland. Extends in Sweden up to Vester- 

 botten, and occurs in S. Norway. In Finland occurs at 

 Uleaborg (about 65 N. lat.), where it grows with P. Persi- 

 caria, L. 



HIPPOPHAE RHAMNOIDES, L. Reay. " Growing in plenty on the 

 banks of a stream, right-hand side of road, nearest coast 

 between Reay and Thurso, perhaps a mile or more from Reay. 

 Of course it must have originally been planted," Dr. Shoolbred. 

 Yes, it was planted, and Dr. Davidson's report was correct. 



SALIX AURITA, L. Wick River, Watten, J. Grant, sp. 

 S. REPENS, L. Wick Bay, Watten, J. Grant, sps. 



MYRICA GALE, L. Killimester and Winless mosses, Mr. D. Doull, 

 sp. " Purse-wan is its Caithness name ; leaves used to kill 

 fleas." 



EMPETRUM NIGRUM, Z. Dunnet to Brough, " Scot. Alp. Club," 

 1889. 



QUERCUS ROBUR, Z. Caithness is excepted by Dr. Trail ; but 

 remains of Oaks have been found in Post Glacial deposits 

 in the county, and on this ground Mr. N. Niven 1 considers it 

 to have been an indigenous species. Mr. S. Laing 2 remarks : 

 " And although the county was doubtless once covered 

 with a scrubby underwood, I question if trees of sufficient 

 magnitude to form canoes ever existed in sufficient numbers 

 near the seashore or navigable rivers to teach the savages 

 the art of boat-building." In reply to this it may be asked 

 how many of the Peat mosses or Lake marls have ever been 

 worked out ? Of course on either side it is negative evidence. 

 No one can tell what may be found if the county were 

 drained as Cambridgeshire has been, where trees in situ in 

 five successive forests have occurred in the Fen. 3 



POPULUS TREMULA, Z., var. GLABRA. Dirlot, R. Dick. 



JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS, Z. Banks above Wick River, Dr. Shoolbred!. 



1 "Brit. Assoc. Reports," 840, 1901. 



2 " Pre-historic Remains of Caithness," 54, 1866. 

 3 "Fenland, Past and' Present," 566-571, 1878. 



