80 



tourists generally ; for our party " were quite unable to obtain the 

 slightest information concerning the Long Island (as the whole group 

 from Barra Head to the Butt of the Lewis is collectively denominat- 

 ed), upon the mainland of Scotland, or even in any part of Skye. No 

 person from whom we were able to inquire, and the number was far 

 from being small, could inform us if we should find any inns, roads, 

 or resident gentlemen in the Long Island, and we were therefore the 

 more surprized and gratified by finding comfortable inns at Obb, Tar- 

 bet and Stomoway ; to walk along excellent roads in most parts of 

 North Uist, Harris and Lewis ; and to be received with kindness and 

 the most liberal hospitality by numerous resident gentlemen." — p. 135. 



Near Ord, in Skye, were seen considerable remains of natural wood, 

 consisting chiefly of Betula alba, B. glutinosa and Alnus glutinosa. 

 At Camisunary the party gathered " a remarkable variety of Oporinia 

 autumnalis, of very large size, and with the peduncles and involu- 

 crum densely clothed with slender, greenish-black, crisped hairs. " 

 By the road-side between Sligachan and Bracadale was noticed a 

 curious form of Taraxacum, resembling that usually called T. palustre, 

 but with the notches of the leaves reflexed, and the outer bracts lan- 

 ceolate-attenuated; the direction of these bracts is not mentioned, but 

 we presume they were erect. This plant could not be referred to any 

 of those described by DeCandolle ; the authors however consider that 

 nearly all his Taraxaea vera are forms of one variable species. 



The following extract relates principally to one of our most inte- 

 resting plants, now, we fear, entirely lost to Britain. 



" On our way from Tarbet to Stomoway, we visited the Shiant Islands, which are 

 remarkable for their grand basaltic columns and lofty cliffs. It is stated in all our 

 later Floras, that the Menziesia caerulea was found on them by the late Mr. G. Don ; 

 and we therefore examined them with great care, in the hope of finding so rare a plant, 

 confirming a doubtful station, and proving the present existence of this beautiful 

 heath as a native of Scotland. We say present existence, as it must be well known to 

 most of the members of this Society, that, owing to the misconduct of a nurseryman, 

 who dug up all the specimens that he could find, amounting, it is said, to nearly a cart 

 load, it is supposed to be now quite extinct upon the Sow of Athol. We were how- 

 ever totally unsuccessful, and have every reason to believe that the Menziesia is not 

 an inhabitant of the Shiant Isles, but that some mistake has caused it to be reported 

 to grow there. We found Empetrum nigrum on the higher parts of one of the islands; 

 and as that plant has once already been mistaken for Menziesia, we may be perhaps 

 allowed to suspect a similar error in the present case, more especially as it seems pro- 

 bable that Mr. G. Don never visited the islands, but that he sent information of the 

 discovery to Sir J. E. Smith, upon the authority of Mr. De Ramm, whose name is 

 joined with his own in the ' English Flora.' Mr. Kippist, at Mr. Babington's sug- 

 gestion, has examined the specimens in the Smithian Herbarium, and reports that the 



