SEA-SIDE PLANTS. 71 



but never grows on the shore to any height, and 

 its leaves are very neat and pretty, being formed 

 of very small leaflets, generally about seven in 

 number, very finely notched at the edges, and of 

 a full green, with somewhat of a glaucous tint. 

 One might as well attempt to gather a handful of 

 thistles, as to make a nosegay of these roses, for its 

 stems are crowded with prickles, some of them 

 very long, and interspersed with multitudes of 

 smaller ones, all of a dark brown colour. The 

 flower is not succeeded by the scarlet hip of the 

 dog-rose, but it has a dark purplish black berry, 

 which schoolboys call the Cat-hip. Dr. Johnston 

 says, this is the only wild rose found in Holy 

 Island, where it grows on the sandy sea-banks ; 

 and Dr. Walker observes, that several parts of the 

 shores of Jura and Isla are highly ornamented 

 with this beautiful little flower, which is in full 

 blossom about the end of June, on the stony beaches 

 of those islands. 



Another of our roses, called the Ked-fruited 

 Dwarf-rose (Rosa rubella), has been found on the 

 sandy sea-coast of Northumberland, but it grows 

 there very sparingly. The Burnet-rose is the 

 origin of our Scotch garden roses, and they are 

 not greatly changed by culture. 



It is pleasant, when roaming along the sea- 

 shore, to linger near some of the salt-water pools, 

 watching the lighter sea-weeds, as they float up 

 and down, and seem to be brightened by all the 

 tints of the rainbow. The naturalist loves these 

 spots, for there he sees living creatures of minute 

 beauty, finding their home and enjoyment. And 

 the botanist loves them too, for here he may find 

 some of the most delicate marine weeds, and here, 



