Our Visit to Holy Island in 1854, by Dr. Johnston. 31 



many vulgar weeds ; and there were several tufts of the 

 common Fennel, which seemed to be as much at home as any 

 of them. There is a deposit of shells in the bank here at a 

 considerable elevation above the present level of the sea — 

 probably not less than twelve feet. The shells are of the 

 commonest kinds. The common mussel (Mytilis edulis), in 

 two varieties, composes most part of the deposit ; and _ we 

 find intermingled, Littorina littorea, Patella vulgata, Cardium 

 edule, and a few broken valves of the oyster. In some of the 

 mussels I found small pearly concretions, and on the external 

 surface the basis of Corallina officinalis, Balanus communis, 

 Serpula triquetra and Membranipora membranacea. 



Another walk led us from the village to the Coves ; and it 

 was impossible not to remark the forwardness and excellence 

 of the crops, superior, as it seemed to us, to the correspond- 

 ing crops on the mainland. The beans and wheat, in 

 especial, were very promising. The ill-conditioned hedges 

 of hawthorn were flowered with May in several places, but 

 the island evidently does not suit the constitution of the 

 thorn. We picked the following plants as we went : — 

 Myosotis versicolor, scattered over the links ; Galium verum, 

 just springing through. the sands with which the winter 

 winds had covered it ; Veronica agrestis ; Potentilla 

 reptans, not yet in flower ; but Potentilla anserina, growing 

 alongside, had put forth its blossoms ; Stellaria media ; 

 Viola flavicomis, of Smith, a new plant to our district ; 

 Myosotis arvensis ; Anagallis arvensis ; Cardamine pra- 

 tensis; Linum catharticum; Hydrocotyle vulgaris, abundant 

 in the bottom of the grassy basins amidst the links ; Sedum 

 acre, a useful binder of loose sand ; Slier urclia arvensis ; 

 Lycopsis arvensis ; Peltidea canina ; Luzula campestris ; 

 and Carex vulgaris, of a dwarf size. The herbage of the 

 links, in several places, was composed chiefly of this Carex. 



Above the Coves, we saw other two sackfulls of the 

 Periwinkles, and a few gatherers occupied in their silent 

 vocation were on the shore. Small flocks of rooks, with 

 some jackdaws, were feeding within tide-mark, and a few 

 curlews flew away disturbed by our visit. 



Descending to the front of the Coves, more solicited our 

 notice than can be enumerated. Of the sea-weeds may be 

 mentioned Ralfsia verrucosa and Hildenbranchia rubra, 

 because they were in perfection ; nor have I seen elsewhere 

 on our coast such fine specimens of Laurencia ccespitosa. 



