Dit. Balfour's Botanical Excursion. 



ocean. In Norfolk there are low hills of blown sand fifty or sixty feet 

 high, bound together by means of grasses or sedges in the way I have 

 mentioned. The maritime part of Lincolnshire which lies below tho sea 

 level, is protected in a similar manner from the invasion of the sea ; 

 and the great embankment in Holland owes its stability iu no small 

 degree to the plants which grow on it. The drifting of sands often 

 causes great devastation, — covering thousands of acres of land, and 

 destroying vegetation. This is seen in many parts of this country, 

 as well as of France, Holland, and Russia. About the commence- 

 ment of last century the French government took up the subject, and 

 directed attention to the shifting sands in that part of France which 

 lies near the bay of Biscay. A species of fir, Pinus maritima, was 

 planted, which now covers the sandy desert, and has effectually checked 

 the progress of the sand drift. Some interesting facts on this subject 

 were lately given in the Gardener's Chronicle, where it is also stated, 

 that on the estate of Lord Palmerston on the west coast of Ireland, 

 between the towns of Bally shannon and Sligo, nearly 1000 acres of 

 land were covered with sand, in some cases to tho depth of 100 feet or 

 more. About eighteen years ago, the Ammophila arcnaria or Bent, 

 was planted in these lands in large quantities, and the Pinus maritima 

 major, from Bordeaux and other places, was also introduced, and by 

 this means a most striking improvement has taken place. About 800 

 imperial acres have been reclaimed and converted into productive 

 pasture land. 



Lint (Linum usitatissimum) is commonly cultivated in this district 

 of Scotland, and in all the fields we observed abundance of Cuscuta 

 Epilinum twining round the stems and destroying the crop. The 

 cuscutas or dodders, of which three species are natives of Britain, 

 are most troublesome weeds, which are not easily extirpated. Their 

 seeds germinate in the soil, and the plants immediately twine them- 

 selves round others in their neighbourhood, becoming attached to them 

 parasitically by means of suckers, and ultimately losing their connec- 

 tion with the soil. They are very destructive to crops, and different 

 species are connected with different plants. A species lately imported 

 into Britain has done much harm to the crops of clover. In the lint 

 fields Camelina sativa was also present, probably imported along with 

 tho seed. 



The party walked along the shores of Machrihanish bay, passing 

 Ballochantuy Kirk, Barr House (Mr. M'Alister), Glenacardoch point, 

 Linanmore Kirk, and Killian, and reached Taynlono in the evening. 

 The rocks were chiefly micaceous and calcareous. At some places, 

 as near Barr House, the limestone is quarried, and there are caves 

 which extend to a great depth ; we entered one, which extended about 

 150 feet. The road from Machrihanish bay northward, runs along 

 the shore, and enables the travoller to have a fine view of the channel 

 of Gigha, as well as of tho islands of Jura and Islay. The Paps of 



