ON THE OCCURRENCE OF ERIOCAULON IN COLL 249 



Carex stricta, I have a specimen from Kirkcudbright. 



Equisetum prateuse. " Dr. Davidson." I have a specimen from 

 him. With regard to the query in the preface as to Dr. 

 Davidson's plants, I may say that I am responsible for many 

 of the names of his specimens, though I cannot safely say for 

 all. There may be errors among them of my making, though 

 I think I may assume they are probably as correct as some of 

 the names of other specimens, if I may judge by those that 

 have passed through my hands. 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OF ERIOCAULON 



IN COLL. 



By SYMERS M. MACVICAR. 



WATSON in "Cyb. Brit," vol. iii. p. 37, quotes the "British 

 Flora " for this plant " Coll and a few of the neighbouring 

 islands of the Hebrides " and adds : "I do not know which of 

 the neighbouring isles are here intended, nor on what personal 

 authority the statement is made." In the Supplement to 

 " Cyb. Brit." and in " Top. Bot." he gives the authority as 

 "S. Macculloch." Hooker's "British Flora," ed. 3 (1835), 

 gives " Skye (Dr. Hope), Coll (Dr. M'Culloch), and a few of 

 the neighbouring Hebrides." The authority meant is no 

 doubt Dr. M'Culloch, the author of "The Highlands and 

 Western Isles of Scotland" (1824). The following extract 

 from that work, for which I am indebted to Mr. A. Somerville, 

 B.Sc., gives what is said in it about the Eriocaulon. Speaking 

 of Coll, the author says : " Though not about to give a pen- 

 tandrian-monogynian account of the vegetable beauties of 

 Coll, I must not forget to say that I found in its lakes the 

 Eriocaulon septangulare before this known only in Skye." 

 He adds : " Those who never saw the sea-kale in its native 

 state will find it also on the western shore" (vol. iv. p. 101). 

 I have lately visited Coll and found Cakile in plenty on the 

 western shore, and it grows on the shore not far from the 

 road. Crainbe I failed to find, and if it occurs it must be 

 rare. The only loch on the western side of the island is by 

 the wayside and not far from where Cakile grows ; in it, and 

 on the side nearest the road, is a large patch of matted 

 20 E 



