2-52 -president's address. 



probably owing to the ready access to the honey the plant 

 contains. The small Bugloss or Ox-tongue is another very 

 common plant on the island. Like its relation — the Viper's 

 Bugloss just mentioned — the Ox-tongue has rough foliage. 

 The handsome pink dwarf species of Centaury was by far the 

 most attractive bloom on the Links. It grows in great pro- 

 fusion, and being a bright sunny day it was seen at its best. 

 On searching the wet sand the Glasswort was soon discovered. 

 It has a curiously jointed stem with numerous branches and 

 no leaves. The Sea Purslane, conspicuous for its mealy 

 leaves, was also plentiful. Not so however the Saltwort, 

 which was only once noticed. Now and again in traversing 

 the damp and mossy spots of the Links, the Bog Pimpernel — 

 the sweetest and dearest of all marsh plants — was observed 

 resting gracefully upon its mossy bed. Before leaving the 

 Links a very diligent search on hands and knees was made in 

 the neighbourhood of the Snook for a very rare sedge — 

 Carex incurva — which has chosen the Island for its only 

 English station. The visit was considered too early for its 

 appearance, September being the month in which it is generally 

 found. The most characteristic plant noticed on visiting the 

 loch was the Smooth-naked Horsetail, occupying almost the 

 whole sheet of water and growing to a great height, displaying 

 its true aquatic nature. There was not sufficient time left to 

 search for the Statice on St. Cuthbert's Island. 



The ornithologists had frequent opportunities of observing 

 Rock Pipits, Sandwich, Common, and Arctic Terns, Eider 

 Ducks, and Black-headed Gulls. The last named were very 

 numerous in the neighbourhood of the loch. Several nests 

 of the Ring Dotterel were noticed. Each nest contained 

 two or three eggs. A considerable number of Redshanks 

 were also seen, and an odd Curlew was now and again heard 

 during the day. The luxuriant growth of Equisetum pre- 

 vented the party from catching a glimpse of any of the 

 feathered denizens which frequent the loch. The bleached 

 skull of a Shoveller was picked up on the links. Several 

 Dragon Flies of the species Calopteryx virgo were seen on the 



