SEA-WEEDS. 137 



is the Dillesk of the Irish, and the Sol of the 

 Icelander. The Norwegians term it Sou soil, or 

 sheep's weed, for the sheep are so fond of it that 

 they are said to be often lost by having strayed 

 to the coast to feed on it at the ebbing of the tide, 

 and having rambled too far from the shore, have 

 been washed away by the returning waves. The 

 Highlanders have a very poetical name for it, for 

 their word Duillisg is a compound of duille, a leaf, 

 and uisge, water ; literally " the leaf of the water." 

 It is used medicinally in the isle of Skye, 

 and Neill observes of it, " There is a common 

 saying, in Stronsa, that he who eats of the dulse 

 of Guiodin, and drinks of the wells of Kildingie, 

 will escape all maladies except black death." The 

 people of the Isles of the Archipelago boil it in 

 ragouts, and consider that it not only renders 

 these nutritious, but that it gives them an agree- 

 able flavour. Like several other sea-weeds, it has, 

 when dried, an odour of violets, and it is said to 

 impart this sweet scent to water if placed in it. 

 It is the celebrated Saccharine fucus of the Ice- 

 landers. It is abundant on our shores at low- 

 water mark, and grows especially on the tangle 

 stems. Several species of Rhodomenia are found 

 on our coast, and one which is frequent on the 

 English shores is termed the Ciliated Bhodomenia, 

 because it is fringed with fine cilia or hairs all 

 round the margin. It is usually more of a crimson 

 tint than the dulse, but otherwise much like it. 



The plant called the Pepper Dulse (Laurencia 

 pinnatifida], is one of our most common sea- weeds, 

 its crowded tufts growing on the sides of the 

 rocks, and hanging to them very closely. Several 

 fronds spring from the same base, varying in 



