294 APPENDIX. 



in the comity, and our personal observations conducted 

 therein, are the materials which are at our disposal for this 

 fauna. If imperfect in the part relating to fish, it is simply 

 because a great field for observation remains here almost 

 as yet untouched, and though many species are known 

 with almost absolute certainty to occur along the coasts, 

 yet the actual results are scarcely sufficient to formulate 

 anything like a correct estimate of the faunal value. 



Geographical Position of Sutherland. 



The counties of Sutherland and Caithness, the most 

 northerly of the mainland of Scotland, possess a very 

 extensive coast-line, together being more than three parts 

 surrounded by sea, and Sutherland itself having a sea- 

 board of at least two-thirds of its total circumference. It 

 is bounded on the west by the more northern portion 

 of the Great Minch, the channel that lies between the 

 mainland and the Outer Hebrides, — a rich and compara- 

 tively unworked area of the great Stornoway herring- 

 fishery. On the north and north-west the broad Atlantic 

 laves its great cliffs and headlands, a few solitary islets 

 alone intervening, such as North Rona and Souliskeir. 

 The eastern shores are washed by the waters of the North 

 Sea from the Ord — the Caithness and Sutherland march 

 — until the south-east corner is reached at Dornoch, and 

 here the southern coast is bounded by the still waters of 

 the Dornoch Firth. 



The whole of this coast -line teems with fish, a vast 

 mine of wealth almost untouched on the west side ; but 

 the want of good and sufficient harbour and pier accom- 

 modation, especially on the more frequented east coast, 

 prevents the proper development of these fisheries. 



The remaining portion of the east of Sutherland is 

 bounded by the eastern watershed of the Halladale and 

 Helmsdale rivers, the hills forming which, much higher 

 near the east coast, divide the famous grouse -moors of 

 Caithness and the Duke of Portland's deer-forest at 

 Berriedale from the great eastern moors of Sutherland. 



