156 SEAWEEDS. 



among branching weeds in a tide-pool ; I reclaimed it, 

 and once more conquered by Arran weather, I signalled 

 to Edward to come to help me home — this was no easy 

 matter, for the wind was becoming unmanageable, and 

 my companions were so convulsed with laughter at the 

 plight I had been in, that they were no assistance to 

 me at all. This was our last excursion in that lovely 

 island, and its reward was but a green weed or two, of 

 which more anon. 



The sands between Ardrossan and Saltcoats, and even 

 the rocks, fertile as they were, looked very dull and 

 prosaic after the ever- varying beauty of Arran, but our 

 time was up; a day at Ardrossan, and a few days in 

 Edinburgh, and our tour must end. 



Upon stretches of sand among these rocks w r e found 

 heaps of sea- weed lying, blown thither by the breeze of 

 yesterday, which might have blown me thither also. We 

 eagerly seized some large red leafy fronds of strong 

 leathery texture, and very variable form. It was 



k rally growing in tufts on uprooted stems of Lamin- 

 aria Digitata, and was sometimes club-shaped, and some- 

 times split into forks or fingers. This is what the Scotch 

 call Dulse, (Plate XI I., Jig. 1), and as such was formerly 

 sold in the markets, and eaten either raw or cooked. 

 ( attle are very fond of it, and seek it out eagerly when 

 they can get to the shore ; indeed I have read that sheep 

 have often been lust by going too far out to seek it, and 

 it was hence called Sheep's Dulse. Dulse in Gaelic means 

 leaf of the water — it was formerly dried and chewed as 

 tobacco (Rhodymenia palmata). This plant belongs to 

 the family which gives the name to the eleventh order of 



