]Mr. Macgillivray's Account oj the Outer Hebrides. 93 



In a few places where there are remains of trees, there still oc- 

 cur some species of plants peculiar to woods, such as Oxalis Ace- 

 tosella, Luzula pilosa, Vicia sylvatica ; the latter I have seen only 

 in the Glen of RodeU. 



The rocks, although generally bare, are in some places abundant- 

 ly crusted with lichens, among which Parmelia omphalodes, saxa- 

 tilis, and parietina, Alectoria jubata, Ramalina fastigiata, Sticta 

 scrobiculata, Lecanora tartarea, and many others, are particularly 

 abundant. 



Along the line of high water, on the sandy beaches, the plants 

 which occur are the same as in other parts of Scotland. Cakile ' 

 maritime, Salsola Kali, Atriplex laciniata, Chenopodium mariti- 

 mum, &c. In the island of Barray, Pulmonaria maritima occurs in 

 this situation, and in North Uist, Eryngium maritimum. 



The plants which grow in the loose sand accumulated into heaps, 

 are also such as are observed in similar situations elsewhere : Arun- 

 do arenaria, Triticum junceum, Festuca duriuscula. Elymus are- 

 uarius, which is of very rare occurrence, is, on account of its great 

 size, and its resemblance to Arundo arenaria, named by the natives 

 " the mother of bent." 



It were an almost endless task to enumerate the species which 

 grow in the sandy pastures, which in summer present a diversity 

 of flowers unrivalled by any that I have seen in Scotland or Eng- 

 land. I shall, however, mention the more important species. Ga- 

 lium verum occurs in great abundance, and in searching for its roots, 

 which afford a red dye, the people have often greatly injured the pas- 

 tures. Daucus Carota is also extremely abundant, as are Thalic- 

 trum minus, and Raphanus maritimus. Of the latter. Dr. Walker 

 remarks that it is greedily eaten by cattle, but I have frequently 

 observed its large, close-pressed leaves left entire by them, when 

 they had cropped bare the surrounding herbage. The grasses which 

 occur in these pastures are the following : Bromus mollis, Aira 

 cristata, Arundo arenaria, Holcus avenaceus, Cynosurus cristatus, 

 Lolium perenne, Triticum junceum, Poa compressa, Festuca ovina 

 and duriuscula, Poa pratensis, and Triticum loliaceum, the latter 

 rare. The leguminous plants are the following : I'^icia Cracca, V. 

 lathyroides, Lathyrus pratensis, Trifolium pratense, repens, pro- 

 cumbens, and minus, Lotus corniculatus, and Anthyllis vulneraria. 

 Together with these occur a multitude of plants with flowers of all 

 colours, such as Achillea IMillefolium, Bellis perennis, Matricaria 

 ChamomUlaj Erythreea Centarium, Gentiana campestris. Ranuncu- 

 lus bulbosus, Satyrium viride. Orchis latifolia, Polygala vulgaris. 

 Prunella vulgaris, and Potentilla Anserina. 



In the hollows where water lies in winter, and along the streams, 

 large patches of Iris Pseudacorus are seen, forming the favourite 

 haunts of the landrail, a bird extremely abundant in these islands. 



The junction of the sandy and heathy soils presents a vegetation 

 which, although not possessed of the varied tints which adorn the 

 former, is greatly superior to the pasturage afforded by the latter. 



