SHETLAND MIDSUMMER 139 



one puts forth when it becomes a case of do or die, 

 that he broke loose. 



Till now, my acquaintance with Chorda filum 

 was confined to rock pools, where it seldom grows 

 more than a few feet in length. But it seems that 

 it reaches the upper air, however many fathoms 

 deep the water may be ; and there creeps fathoms 

 more along the surface. 



Many of the voes of Shetland, out of the scour of 

 the tides, are quite choked by it. When rowing, 

 the filaments wrapped themselves around the oars, 

 as they did round the body of my friend. Their 

 local name is " witches' hair " ; and this was the 

 weird meaning thereof. 



Of game, Shetland has none ; for probably none 

 would live, not even a hare. Such haunters of the 

 areas of cultivation, such lovers of warm well- 

 drained fields as partridge, cannot reasonably be 

 looked for on this rude, and untamable soil. One 

 attempt at introduction has already failed, and no 

 other need be made, or has a chance of succeeding. 



Of late years, enthusiasts have tried more than 

 once to naturalise grouse; but the experiments 

 appear to have been conducted carelessly, and have 

 so far, proved fruitless. Mr. Harold Raeburn con- 

 siders that there is no reason why grouse should 



