APPENDIX F.—PLANTS AND ANIMALS OF FORFAR. 225 
destroy rye-grass about the third year after sowing: the fields then 
become overrun with these grasses, and nothing but necessity ever 
compels the cattle to eat them. Dr. Richardson adds, that he 
supposes that the fiorin grass possesses an antiseptic quality, which 
prevents it from running into putrefaction so soon as other grasses. 
But I can assure that gentleman, that the agrostides on this side of 
the Irish Channel possess no such quality; they being here as ready 
to run into putrefaction as any grass whatever. He likewise 
adds, that Irish cattle give fiorin the preference to all other grasses ‘ 
Our cattle, on the contrary, give every other grass the preference 
to the agrostides. 
In digging in dry banks, about two or two and a Half feet below 
the surface, if the soil is good, will be found the Lycoperdon tuber, 
the truffle, or solid puff-ball, so much esteemed by people of rank in 
England. In trenching up my garden lately, I found several of 
them. In England, dogs are trained for the purpose of finding them. 
PLANTS TO BE FOUND ON THE SEA SHORE. 
If the botanist, in taking his tour, begins at the North Water 
Bridge, the first thing that will arrest his attention is the beautiful 
grass called Elymus arenarius, and along with it he will find the 
Festuca rubra, one of our best grasses; also Triticum junceum, 
Carex arenaria, and the Arundo arenaria, commonly called Sea- 
bent: this grass, although much neglected, is not destitute of 
utility ; it is the grass which of all others possesses in an eminent 
degree the advantage of being furnished with strong running 
roots, and of growing in loose dry sand, and, by means of these 
roots, arresting the blowing sands so destructive in some parts of 
the kingdom. In some counties in England, accordingly, which 
have a considerable quantity of sandy sea coast, the pulling or 
destroying of this grass is prohibited. The botanist will also find, 
though sparingly, the Phalaris arenaria. There is also what I take 
to be a non-descript species of Aira, or else the Aira cristata 8 of 
Linneus. The sandy beach is here adorned with the delicate 
flowers of the Bunias cakile, the Cakile maritima of Willdenow’s 
Species Plantarum. 
As the collector comes nearer to Montrose, he meets with the 
Thalictrum minus; and also the Eryngium maritimum, whose 
singular foliage seldom fails to attract the notice of every man of 
curiosity. In cultivated fields near Montrose, he will find the 
Carduus tenuiflorus and Lamium incisum, rather of rare occurrence 
ie > 
