xii CONTENTS. 



Firths or fiords The Picts drowned Currents in the Pentland 

 Firth Stroma Pentland Skerries The furious winds in Caith- 

 ness No trees or hedges Barrogill Castle The coast scenery 

 Wick Bay Duncansby Head The Stacks John o' Groats The 

 old castles Al-wick, Keiss, Girnigo The Gyoes The inland 

 country The Caithness mountains The great mountain, Morven 

 Agriculture The old Caithness plough Thurso Roads Crab- 

 bans Ord of Caithness Sir John Sinclair Thurso Castle Road 

 over Bencheilt Sir John Sinclair's improvements . Pages 26-39 



CHAPTER V. 



DICK BEGINS BUSINESS. 



Wilson Lane, Thurso First flour bought Studies conchology 

 Botany His father leaves for Haddington Dunnet Head, Hoi- 

 born Head, and the Clett The Gyoes The inland country- 

 Entomology Beetles, Bees, Butterflies, and Moths The boya 

 follow Dick Makes friends of the boys Rare insects brought to 

 him Astronomy, Geology, Phrenology Dick invited to marry 

 Annie Mackay Mechanical method for making biscuits His 

 biscuits . ... Pages 40-49 



CHAPTER VI. 



BOTANICAL WANDERINGS. 



* 



His entomological collection Tested everything by observation His 

 books Books imbedded in his flour His microscope Hogarth's 

 works A great reader Botanical excursions Spring in the North 

 Watching the growth of the flowers The ferns Caithness flora 

 Study of Botany Midsummer time Solitude The moors The 

 soaking rain Walking for a fern Standing on a hill-top Letters 

 to his sister Walking over a moor Journey to Morven top 

 Dift taken for a salmon-poacher . . . Pages 50-69 



CHAPTER VII. 



DISCOVERS THE "HOLY GRASS." 



Business and science Want of friends His dress His love of nature 

 A deputation from the boys Dick a general referee His know- 

 ledge of plants The Hierochloe borealis Retains the discovery 

 for twenty years Dick's paper on the subject The Royal Botani- 

 cal Society, Edinburgh The Moonwort The Stork's-bill Pursuit 

 of ferns Dunnet Sands The Dorery Hills Loch Shurery Dick's 

 fernery at the Reay Hills .... Pages 70-80 



