178 THE SEA-SHORE. 



and recovering its rigid character on the return of 

 dry weather. " In some places of the western 

 islands in Scotland, it forms even a sort of soil on 

 the pebbles of the beach, on which the poor natives 

 sow barley ; and, as the sea-weed rots, the grain 

 drops with it into the interstices, so that, when the 

 harvest is ready, it is seen growing on a surface of 

 naked polished pebbles." Berwick Flora. 



It is a plant of very rapid growth, as appears 

 from the following narrative related by Mr. Neill : 

 " A stone beacon was being erected on a low rock 

 called the Carr, near the entrance of the Frith of 

 Forth. This rock is about twenty feet broad, and 

 sixty feet long ; and is only uncovered at the lowest 

 ebb of spring-tides. It was at this time completely 

 covered with the larger Algae, especially Fucus escu- 

 lentusf and Sea Tangles. By the necessary prepa- 

 rations for the beacon, these were all cleared off, 

 and the rock reduced to a bare state by the begin- 

 ning of November, 1813, when it was obliged to be 

 abandoned for the winter. The coating of sea- 

 weed had at first been cut away by the workmen, 

 the roots or bases afterwards trampled by their 

 feet, and much of the surface of the rock had been 

 chiselled. Upon returning to the Carr, in May, 

 1814, in order to recommence operations, it was 

 matter of no slight surprise to find the surface again 

 as completely invested with large sea-weeds as ever 

 it was, although little more than six months had 

 elapsed since the work had been left off, when, as 

 already said, the rock had been cleared of weed. 

 In particular, it was observed that many newly 

 produced specimens of Fucus esculentus measured 



* Alaria esculenta. 



