1 82 The Scottish Naturalist. 



ON MYUKIUM HEBRIDARUM AND OTHER MOSSES IN THE 



HEBRIDES. 

 By JAMES STIRTON, M.D., F.L.S. 



THIS year I paid a visit to the Cater Hebrides mainly for the 

 purpose of investigating the Lichen Flora of the Atlantic 

 sea-board. I was miserably disappointed. Foiled in this direction, 

 I turned my attention to their Moss Flora. 



On the 8th of August Dr. Dougall and I arrived at Creagorry 

 Hotel, on the southern shore of Benbecula, and within 200 yards 

 of the ford to South Uist. On the following Tuesday we traversed 

 extensive sandy-dunes on the western shore in order to secure the 

 rare and beautiful moss Myarium Hebridanim, but failed utterly. 

 The only moss of any consequence seen was Bryum Marratii. 

 After several hours of weary and unprofitable wandering we made 

 a detour towards the numerous lochs so thickly scattered over this 

 strange island. From the summit of Ruival (the only eminence of 

 any consequence) at an elevation of 400 feet we counted 52 lochs. 

 The shores of at least a dozen of these were diligently investigated 

 without seeing a trace of the moss. Campylopus brevipilus was 

 met at almost every step, as well as the pretty flowering plant, 

 Anagallis tenella, and, in many of the lochs, Sparganium nutans 

 and Potamogeton filiformis were plentiful, and proved a great 

 annoyance and interruption to my companion's sport as a fisher. 



The shores of several of these lochs showed, besides, Osmunda 

 regalis in abundance and more especially did this fern affect the 

 smaller islands that dotted their surfaces ; while here and there, 

 on the grassy slopes, was detected the beautiful Ophioglossum 

 vulgatum. We desisted from our search. 



Next day proving suitable for fishing, we agreed to try Loch Bee 

 on the northern shore of South Uist. We were fairly successful, 

 but the boat being rather leaky our gillie proposed to row ashore 

 and empty it by capsizing. Not ten yards from the spot where we 

 grounded we picked up a tuft of the Myurium, and within 200 

 yards could have filled our fishing baskets with it. The waters of 

 Loch Bee are brackish, inasmuch as the sea effects an entrance at 

 high water, both on its eastern and western shores. 



