310 GENERAL REMARKS. 



Gentians, &c. ; and amongst the bent, the Geranium sanguineum, 

 the Cynoglossum, Ecliium, the Burnet Rose, &c. show off bravely. 

 But where the continuity of the siliceous links is broken in upon 

 by a sandstone cliff, the change in the vegetation is immediate, 

 proceeding, probably, not so much from the change in the nature 

 of the subjacent strata, as from concomitant alterations in the 

 depth and moisture of the soil. The grass becomes coarse and 

 rank, the bent and the flowers above enumerated disappear, and 

 their place is supplied by tall grasses, the primrose, cowslip, the 

 early orchis, wood sage, hypericums, and the various heaths, &c. 

 The point of Hudshead, which is a sandstone cliff, affords a fine 

 illustration of these remarks, when contrasted with the links on 

 either side of it, which have limestone as a base, for the only 

 plants common to the two sites are the Gentiana amarella and 

 Geranium sanguineum, the former apparently not at home on 

 the sandstone, but the latter is as luxuriant and ornamental on 

 either place as it is on the greenstone cliffs of Arthur's Seat. 



The coast of Berwickshire is very different from that of N. 

 Durham in its physical characters and in its vegetable produc- 

 tions. It is rocky and precipitous, fissured, however, by frequent 

 and deep ravines, through each of which a burn or streamlet finds 

 a way to the sea, where, at its debouchement, it forms a sandy 

 plat generally of small extent. The only exception to this gene- 

 ral character occurs at Coldingham, where the shore is low and 

 sandy, similar to that of Durham. The rocks for the three or 

 four first miles from Berwick northwards are sandstone, covered 

 in general by a deep soil and a coarse vegetation ; and there are 

 many wet spots favourable to the growth of the large Umbelliferce, 

 the Eupatorium, Equiseta, and the tall Festucce. The Geranium 

 sanguineum abhors the fellowship of these vulgar species, and is 

 no where to be seen north of the river, but its place is supplied 

 by the red lychnis, which flourishes here in great profusion, and 

 by the Geranium pratense, less choice in her companions. Even 

 where the coast is driest, the flowers which are so profuse on the 

 opposite shore are not to be found ; the purple astragalus, the 

 pimpernel, the gaudy viper's-bugloss, &c. have disappeared en- 

 tirely, and the scurvy grass, the primrose, the dog's violet, the 

 orchis, the white saxifrage, &c. occupy the ground. Some spots 

 there are on these banks, which, in summer's pride, display much 

 floral beauty, and for its pre-eminence in this respect the Needle- 



