Botanical "Society of Edinburgh. ~ t \ 



*i The botany of Shetland," observes Mr. Edmonstone, " though 

 not very extensive, is interesting. Many of the less common (chiefly 

 subalpine) plants are abundant in all situations ; and many species, 

 very commonly distributed, and indeed often marked as universal, 

 throughout Great Britain, are very rare, or altogether unknown in 

 Shetland. Among the last may be mentioned Alchemilla arvensis 

 and vulgaris, Briza media, Primula veris, Anagallis arvensis, Con- 

 volvulus arvensis, Teucrium Scorodonia, Geranium robertianum, Lap- 

 sana communis, and others of the commonest weeds. Again, Tha- 

 lictrum alpinum, and other local plants are everywhere abundant, 

 growing down to the sea-level ; and sylvan plants — those gene- 

 rally associated with woods or luxuriant pasturage — are almost 

 entirely wanting. The geology of Shetland is rich in interesting 

 phenomena. The formation is almost wholly primitive, the most 

 abundant rocks being gneiss, mica-schist, clay and chlorite-slate, 

 granite quartz, serpentine limestone, &c, besides which, there are 

 amygdaloidal porphyritic rocks of different kinds. The difference of 

 formation between Shetland and Orkney is very striking, that of 

 the latter being as uninteresting as the former is the reverse. Ork- 

 ney consists chiefly of an apparent continuation of the north coast 

 of the mainland, being composed of sandstone, clay-slate, and other 

 secondary rocks, while the Shetlands may be said to belong to the 

 oceanic series of islands. Again, the difference seems as great be- 

 tween the Shetland and Faroe Isles, for in the latter group the 

 rocks are all basaltic. Many of the Shetland rocks present a most 

 remarkable degree of similarity to those of the south of England, 

 chrome ore, native magnesia, serpentine, crystallized fluor, and 

 several others, being common to both extremities of Great Britain, 

 though rarely found in the intermediate space ; and it is a singular 

 fact that some of the plants present a corresponding analogy, as for 

 instance, Lathy rus maritimus, &c. 



" The prevalence of peat is a very characteristic feature in the 

 general aspect of Shetland, and proves beyond a doubt the great 

 abundance of trees in former ages. Judging from the remains, these 

 seem chiefly to have belonged to Corylaceae and Pinaceee, as trunks 

 and nuts of the hazel, and cones of Abies picea have repeatedly been 

 dug out of the moors. This evidence of their existing formerly in 

 such abundance, leads to the question whether they may still be 

 grown. I certainly do not think that the experiment has been fairly 

 tried, nor is it probable that it soon will be on a scale whieh can set 

 the matter at rest; indeed, many reasons seem to concur in ren- 

 dering it unlikely that trees could be reared so as to render them 

 profitable in an ceconomical point of view. The frosts and cold wea- 

 ther which often occur early in autumn do not leave the plants time 

 to form their buds for hybernation before the old leaves are nipped ; 

 and the heat of summer is by no means sufficient (as in most other 

 northern latitudes) to compensate for the shortness of its duration. 

 I do not attach so much importance as Jias sometimes been done to 

 the influence of the sea-spray, by which, during heavy gales, Shet- 



