56 INTRODUCTION. 



that they are often lost, by going too far from land at low- 

 water in search of it, and becoming surrounded by the 

 returning tide. The IN^orwegians, therefore, call it sou-soell, 

 and Bishop Gunner, translating this into Latin, calls it 

 Fuciis ovintis, Sheep's-weed. 



But Dulse is not the only Sea-weed useful as food for 

 cattle. In the "Western Hebrides, Fucus vesicidosus, or 

 Ladf/ Wrack as it is often called, forms a considerable part 

 of the winter food of cattle and sheep. Even in the island 

 of Cumbrae, only a few miles from the coast of Ayrshire, 

 the minister of the island told me that during winter his 

 man-servant went regularly to the shore at every ebb-tide 

 to cut from the rocks a fresh supply of this Sea- weed for liis 

 cows, who neither snufPed nor turned up their noses at it, 

 but relished it and throve upon it. 



But while the Icelanders make a savoury dish of Dulse, 

 the Irish peasantry have taught us to make a truly delicious 

 dish of another very common Sea-weed, well known by the 

 name of Carrageen or Irish moss. This is Choridrus crispus, or, 

 what answers the purpose equally well, Choudnis mamillosiis, 

 to which the name of Gracilaria mamillosa has now been 

 given. These two plants abound on all our rocky shores; 

 but it is called Irish moss, because it was first turned to 



