Our Visit to Holy Island in 1854, by Dr. Johnston. 35 



his natural history as authentic. All that I could receive 

 were the Island names of a few objects, viz. : — 



The Pout is their Sooter, or Johnee-Dories. 



The Gurnard ,, The Gurnald. 



The Dog Fish _ . „ Dogs, 

 Galathea squamifera, The Gowdie, 

 Venus Islandica ,, The Clam. 



23rd. Catharine began a sketch this morning of the fine 

 Norman door of the Priory, which promised to be very good; 

 and I occupied the forenoon in examining and preserving 

 the acquisitions of yesterday. It was nearly two o'clock 

 before we started for a walk. This began at the entrance to 

 the Island from the mainland, and we pursued the line of 

 shore northwards. Our object was to observe the plants 

 that grow on the narrow stripe of sand between the bents 

 and tide mark. Here it is that Arenaria peploides grows 

 properly in beds, and it was partially in flower. Cakile 

 maritima was also at home here, and a few plants had 

 blossomed. Any others noticed were clearly stragglers 

 brought down to an unfavourable position by some accident. 

 They were the Burdock, the Rumex crispus, Carduus 

 lanceolatus, Crispus arvensis, Gar ex arenaria, Potentilla 

 anserina, Senecio Jacobcea with its disagreeable odour 

 heightened to intensity, and Senecio vulgaris growing 

 vigorously. The shore was strewn with Zoster a marina, 

 but it was not seen growing. We came in a short time to a 

 sort of creek leading inland, formed by a removal of the 

 links or sands, which had once lain above the present 

 surface, which is a bed of gravel thickly mixed with dead 

 and bleached shells of Helix aspersa and Helix hortensis, 

 but more especially with Cardium edule. With these there 

 were shells of Tellina solidula, Tellina carnea, Littorina 

 littorea, Purpura lapillus, Patella vulgata and Icevis, 

 Helix nemoralis, and some minute shells whose names could 

 not be accurately ascertained. This creek cuts in upon the 

 narrowest part of the island, and indeed it reaches with 

 little interruption to the opposite side. The lime works are 

 at the south of it. A ditch near them was choked up with 

 Sium angustifolium in a dwarf and matted condition. Not 

 far off there was a large bed of Ononis arvensis. It 

 thundered a good deal during our walk, and we had been 

 housed but a short time when the rain began to fall heavily. 



