CHAP. xvni. CAITHNESS BOTANY. 291 



Dick supplied his young friend for he was then only 

 seventeen with a list of the plants of Caithness. The 

 list was a long one. The student read a paper on the 

 subject to the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. He gave 

 several of the plants on Dick's authority. The professor 

 of Botany jeered at the idea of such plants growing in 

 Caithness, and declared that Dick was all wrong ! Dick 

 was appealed to. He insisted that he was all right. He 

 had seen the plants growing with his own eyes. What 

 better evidence could there be of their existence in 

 Caithness ? Speaking of the affair to a friend, Dick 

 said, "I doot the folk that objected were fireside 

 botanists." 



The correspondence, however, continued. In one of 

 his letters, Dick said, " I am sorry that my doubly- 

 marked list of plants should have annoyed you so much. 

 It is impossible for me to send my dried plants to Edin- 

 burgh for examination by your Professors. The plants 

 are bulky, and besides, I value them too highly to 

 allow any person to touch them, except very tenderly. 

 How can I forstand your Professors, when they dinna 

 forstand themselves." 



" Saxifraga tridactylites : Dunnet Links. Query 

 Why do your Professors doubt my word about so com- 

 mon a plant as that ? Is it because I said it might be 

 had in millions ? . . . Arbutus alpina : native. . . . 

 Luanda Forsteri : my nainsel fand him. . . . Osmunda 

 regalis. Eh ? Weel, man, were Dr. Johnson of Berwick 

 alive, he would roar so loud that they would hear him 

 at Morven. Osmunda regilis has just as good a right to 



