304 The ScottisJi Naturalist. 



o 



plant is Gloeocapsa magma (Kutzing) ; Protococcus magma (Bre- 

 bisson, Alg. Fallais) ; Sorospora montana (Hassall). Lightfoot was 

 doubtless indebted to Martin (whose 'Western Isles' furnished 

 him with many of his useful notes on the uses of plants among the 

 Highlanders) for the information respecting such a plant. Martin 

 describes it thus : " There is seen about the houses of Bernera, for 

 the space of a mile, a soft substance resembling the sea-plant 

 called slake [meaning here Ulva latissima], and grows very thick 

 among the grass ; the natives say it is the product of a dry hot 

 soil ; it grows likewise on the tops of several hills in the island of 

 Harris." " It abounds in all mountainous regions as a spread- 

 ing crustaceous thing on damp rocks, usually blackish-looking ; 

 but where it is thin the purplish nucleus shines through, giving 

 it a brighter aspect." — Rov. 



Chondrus crispus — Irish moss, known in the Western High- 

 lands by the Irish name an earraeeen, as the chief supply used to 

 come from Carrageen in Ireland. At one time it was in much 

 repute, for from it was manufactured a gelatinous easily digested 

 food for invalids, which used to sell for 2s. 6d. per lb. Mathair 

 an duileasg, the mother of the dulse, as if the dulse had sprung 

 from it. 



Oorallina officinalis. — Gaelic : coireall (M'Alpine). Latin : 

 eorallium, coral. Linean. It was used as a vermifuge. 



Polysiphonia fastigiata. A tuft of this sea-weed was sent to 

 me with the Gaelic name Fraoch mara, sea -heather, written 

 thereon. 



Himanthalia lorea. — The cup-shaped frond from which the 

 long thongs spring is called aiomlaeh, or iomleach (iomleag, the 

 navel), from the resemblance of the cup shaped disc to the 

 navel. Dr Neill mentions that in the north of Scotland a kind 

 of sauce for fish or fowl, resembling ketchup, is made from the 

 cup-like or fungus-like fronds of this sea-weed. 



Halydris siliquosa. — Gaelic: roineach mhara, the sea -fern. 

 (In the Isle of Skye.) 



Chorda filum — Sea-laces. In Shetland, Lucky Minny's lines ; 

 Ayrshire, dead men's ropes. Gaelic : gille ma leann (or mu 

 Hon), — gille, a young man, a servant ; lion, a net. Lightfoot 

 mentions that the stalks acquire such toughness as to be used 

 for fishing lines, and they were probably also used in the manu- 

 facture of nets. At all events it is a great obstacle when trawl- 

 ing with nets, as it forms extensive sea-meadows of long cords 

 floating in every direction. In some parts langadair is given to 



