248 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



In the first place, some apology is needed to Dr. R. 

 Brown of Campster ; inasmuch that his two papers (after- 

 wards named) were not consulted. 



When reading the life of Robert Dick of Thurso, it 

 seemed to me that if those who so persistently asked him 

 for the Holy-Grass had only been as keen in the advance- 

 ment of Botany as in the greed for specimens they might 

 have been the means of some use being made of Dick's 

 knowledge of the Caithness Flora : that he would communi- 

 cate with any one who he saw was really anxious was seen 

 by the hearty and laborious way in which he helped Hugh 

 Miller in geology. Since his death two more remarkable 

 men have made the Flora their part study : Mr. Henderson, 

 a shepherd (of whom a sympathetic notice appeared in " The 

 Northern Ensign," by my friend Mr. Grant), and Mr. Rosie, 

 a postman ; to both of whom Mr. Grant and myself are 

 much indebted. 



The flora is far from being exhausted, I feel sure. So 

 far as the Cryptogams are concerned little has yet been done. 

 Dick's fine series of Mosses were sent to Liverpool i 3 years 

 ago to be named, and have never been returned. To whom- 

 soever they went, it is a downright bit of dishonesty not to 

 return them, even if they could not be named. 



The papers by Dr. R. Brown were published in " The 

 Transactions of the Edinburgh Botanical Society," 1860, 

 p. 328 ; and 1863, p. 8. Beyond these the principal paper is 

 one by Dr. Craig " On the Excursion of the Scottish Alpine 

 Club to Sutherland and Caithness in 1888," "Trans. Edin. 

 Bot. Soc.," 1889, p. 379. 



I give such notes below as I have accumulated. 



Thalietrum majus, Crantz. Dunnet, J. Grant ! Dick. 



" Thalietrum flavum." Sandside, Caithness, T. J. Cowie, fide H. 



C. Watson, in " Outlines of the Geogr. Dist. of Brit. Plants," p. 



79 (1832), "Probably a form of minus"; Watson in "Geogr. 



Distrib.," p. 49 (1843). 

 T. maritimum. Reiss, Murkle. 



Ranunculus eonfusus. R. Brown, in Catalogue sent to H. C. 

 Watson. 



Ranunculus aeris ; var. tomophyllus (Jord.}. Sandy cliffs ; Sand- 

 side Bay, Reay. 



