See Uae Sey Ie STM poe Nh CoP Soe Se os te 
‘ 
BOTANICAL EXCURSIONS IN WEST DONEGAL. 73 
curious consolidated sand formation here, which occurs also along 
Ballinastocker strand on the Fanet coast. It has the appearance of 
eing laminated externally, but when broken up presents no signs 
of stratification. The parallel external layers seem to be the work 
of excavating wind and sand, and I suppose the regularity may be 
illustrated by that of iaaks. marks, What binds it together is not 
very clear, as there is no lime about. I have noticed ‘it elsewhere 
i —— —— these low sand-escarpments Poa loliacea is 
no eI} 
ws those “gathering ptr for —* (for there is little kelp 
burned n with reference to their names for various seaweeds, 
which ey know only by their Irish equivalents, “lia gh,” * slat- 
maragh,”’ ‘‘dulse,” ‘‘doolaman,” “ carrigeen,’’ ‘‘rappan,” ‘“ fam- 
milyagh,” and “ mechals.” These in the order mentioned _signify 
Laminaria generally, the ng: of ee Rhodymenia palmata, 
Fucus — Chondrus crispus, Laminaria saccharina oe ut in 
Fanet a name for a variety of dulse), Shin generally, and = aria 
esculenta. ea I procured two ‘‘ ould residenters”’ to help me to 
search for Crambe panne along the heavy shingles * Norway 
oint, Mr. C. Moore’s original discovery-spot. I had no need to 
describe or assist these old “« shell-backs,’’ the y knew Creme well as 
gen c 
sheep. At another point feslies west some younger men tried to 
pass off Beta maritima upon me, with radical leaves and no sap 
growth. They had seen the a flowers on it! This was 
season for drying the carrigeen, or Irish moss, which has also the 
nid carrigeen t thess amphibious people kept on nibbling mechals, 
the lower appendages of the Alaria frond, which they call also 
*‘ purses” (pursill). Groups of people, young men and maidens, 
from the far back of the parish, were rambling amongst the tidal 
rocks, Seger limpets and making very merry over it. They 
afar off, put up their carts at a friend’s house, and, pro- 
vided are porringers, tin cans, or any sort of vessels, and a blunt 
“ gallion’’ or old knife, they keep holiday, and bring home 
quantities of these ‘ barnyeuchs” as a “kitchen” to their 
‘ praties.” Dulse, they say, keeps off starvation, and carrigeen 
is good against consumption. The Crambe grew at the extreme 
end of Norway (Tullagh) Point. These heavy shingle plants, such 
as Euphorbia, Peplis, nares Glaucium and Crambe get terribly 
knocked about by exceptional storms. 
From Tullagh Point I went west to Dunaff Head, determined 
to leave no Crambe nook unexamined. This headland has on its 
magnificent cliffs the only Donegal station for Silene acaulis. It is 
willy headland, Vicia lathyroides, 
I followed the ‘Sully coast southward to Leenane, anxious to 
